Online Booking System for Parking - Research Proposal Example

? Online booking System for Parking Goal of project The main goal of this project is to provide an efficient and cheap way of solving the problem of finding parking spaces. Suffice to say, most people can easily access the internet through their smart phones, tablets or laptops. An online booking system for parking will make it easy for people to know the exact location of available parking spaces and book them in advance before driving there. This will save people time wasted in the search for available parking spaces and also help in mitigating the issue of unnecessary traffic jams. Context of the project It is evident that the number of vehicles in the country has increased exponentially over time. However, the number of parking spaces has not been changed to reflect the increase in the number of vehicles. Inevitably, finding an open parking space has been one of the greatest headaches for vehicle owners (Banman, 2009). The situation becomes even worse during peak hours when there is heavy vehicular movement. In some instances, a person has to drive around town in the search of empty parking spaces. This leads to wastage of fuel and time since the search may take long. This project will help to ensure that a person can check and book available parking space from any place. The portal for online booking for parking system will make it possible for a person to check for available parking spaces and drive straight to the place. This will result in significant savings in terms of money and time. Suffice to say, the use of internet has become almost second nature to most people (Stobbs, 2012). In the United States, the internet penetration rate stands at eighty one percent. Almost half of the population possesses either a smart phone or a tablet. Thus, there is a sufficient number of people using the internet who can benefit from this service. Overall objectives The speci?c objectives of this project are as follows: (i) To investigate extend to which online booking system can be implemented for car parking. (ii) To design an online booking system for car parking. (iii) To implement a software prototype for the car parking system. (iv) To validate the software prototype implemented during the course of the project. Techniques for realization In order for this project to be successful, it will be necessary to apply various techniques. One of the critical factors for the successful realization of this project is intensive research. There is need to conduct a comprehensive research on the issue of car parking and the way that online systems can help in mitigation of the problem. Also, the project should be implemented using hardware and software that is up to the task. The success of software related projects depends on the system specifications that are selected. This is critical as it determines the performance of the system under the given circumstances. The realization of the project will also depend on the ease of usability of the online booking system for car parking. The user interface should be fast and intuitive such the user can easily navigate through it (Stobbs, 2012). Structure of the contextual report This contextual report will first evaluate the existing technologies in the area of car parking. The existing literature in online booking systems and car parking will be reviewed. This will help to give a solid background of the topic of online booking system for car parking. A comparative analysis of the existing and proposed car parking systems will help to show the existing gaps and the potential benefits of the project. A section on market research will shed light on the potential clients of the proposed system. The patterns in the car parking industry will be evaluated to investigate the underlying trends. Finally, the requirement specifications for the online booking system for car parking will be outlined. Section 2: Literature review Technological overview At the early stages of commercial car parking, most of the work was done entirely on paper. The parking attendant would manually record the vehicles entering and leaving a car park. The attendant would approximate the number of empty spaces available by based on the records at hand or by physically looking at the parking lot. This process was inefficient and very unreliable especially urban areas where vehicular traffic is enormous (Stevens, 2008). It should be noted that it would take the attendant considerable time to record the details of each and every vehicle that enters or leaves the parking. During peak hours, the process of recording could easily lead to traffic snarl ups as cars queue to enter the parking lot. Over time, various technological advances have been witnessed in the car parking industry. Manual implementations have been replaced by automated systems which are mostly computerized. For instance, the car parks’ entrances are controlled by automated barrier gates where parking tickets are issued. Essentially, the use of automated barrier gates functions by sensing an approaching car and the driver presses a button to obtain a ticket indicating the entry and details of the of the car. The barriers then open automatically and allow the car to enter. The exit process is also similar whereby the amount due is calculated as the approaches the exit barrier. This technology has helped to significantly reduce the queues times that are witnessed in manual car parking systems. However, the challenge of seeking empty parking spaces cannot be solved by the use of computerized barrier gates. Most drivers still had to drive around town looking for empty spaces. One of the technologies that came up to solve the problem of searching for empty parking spaces is the use of LED displays on each parking area to indicate the number of empty parking spaces that are available. The other method is through the use of indicators on each floor to show if there are any empty parking spaces available. Although these methods help to considerably reduce the time that one spends searching for parking spaces, still a person has to drive around looking for empty parking spaces (Stevens, 2008). This project aims to come up with a system whereby people can book a parking space from their mobile phones or computers (Friedhelm, 2002). All that is required is for the person to log in into a specified web portal and book a space in the parking of choice. The user will be able to see if the parking lot has empty spaces and once a person books a parking space, a confirmation SMS will be sent. This will help to eliminate the time a person wastes in driving around to search for empty parking spaces. The user will only need to drive directly to the parking lot and show the confirmation code that was sent during the online reservation. Reference to existing work The field of car parking has witnessed various technological advancements in the recent past. Technology has enabled companies to come up with solutions to automate and make car parking as hassle free as possible. Significantly, the use of internet has also played a significant role in the evolution of internet. One of the related existing technologies in relation to online car parking is the use of sensors to alert a driver of empty parking spaces in the vicinity. This system works through the radiation of signals to and from the vehicle and the parking areas. A special transmitting gadget is installed in the car parking lots and it is fed with real time information on the number of available slots in the parking lot (Pala & Inanc, 2003) . The user’s car is fitted with a receiving gadget. The gadget on the parking lot transmits continuously the empty parking lots available. On the other, a person has to switch on the receiving gadget when in need of a parking space. As the person drives in close proximity of the parking lot, the receiving gadget will indicate whether or not the parking lot has empty spaces. Therefore, a driver does not have to actually reach a parking lot to know if it has empty parking spaces. The other existing systems in the car parking industries use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to direct a person to where there are empty parking spaces. A person only needs to log into a specified portal with GPS capability. The system automatically recognizes the location of the vehicle and checks against a database for available empty spaces. The system then shows the person the nearby parking lots with empty parking spaces. Once a user select s the preferred parking lot, the Global Positioning System directs the person to the exact location of the parking lot hence saving time and money (Pala and Innanc, 2003). Comparative analysis The proposed online booking system for car parking fully utilizes the internet to provide information on the availability of parking places. This is unlike the other systems that do not allow a person to check on the available parking spaces from any location. By using internet, the system allows a person to check the availability of parking spaces from virtually any place in the world. Internet is global and therefore there are no restrictions in terms of time and places where one can check the information from. In the other systems, a person has to in close proximity of a parking lot before he can get information on the available parking slots. Hence, the project is not place dependent on issuing information on the available parking to clients. This is unlike the old systems that literally require one to at or near the parking lot so as to obtain information (Schulle, 2004). The other unique feature of this project is that it allows for actual booking of spaces on an online platform. This implies that one can actually complete a car parking space booking transaction in the comfort of their homes before leaving for work. This gives a person the peace of mind that his or her car is guaranteed a parking space in town. Other systems do not allow for actual booking of car parking spaces. They only allow for viewing or just informing the client that there are parking spaces. The inability to book spaces from the office or at home means that a person has come to town very early in order to find empty parking spaces easily. Otherwise, it means that a person has to be ready to circle the entire town several times before they can find any space to park their cars. Hence, the project has the inherent advantage of the saving a person both the agony of having to come to town extremely early or having to drive around town in search of a place to park the car. This system is also versatile in that it makes it possible for a person to book on behalf of another person. Market research This project intends to serve a very large market. Internet usage has grown tremendously over the years to become one of the most prevalent technologies in the present world. The target markets for this project are those people that use internet services frequently. These people are likely to check the web portal with the online booking system for car parking and try the service. In fact, this service will play a huge role in making it easier for them to manage their parking issues online without having to struggle manually. According to World Bank (2012), the number of internet user per one hundred inhabitants in the United States of America is seventy nine as at 2010. This implies that there is a huge number of Americans who use internet on a day to day basis. In fact, statistics from the n United States Census Bureau (2011) point out that an average internet user in America stays online for at least five hours each day. Therefore, the market for the project is huge. Form these figures, the project is likely to pick off very well if approximately half of the total population of people who use internet adopt it. Basically, the use of internet services is exponentially incremental and the initial adoption will be of critical importance. Once the critical mass has been attained, the adoption of the service is likely to pick up at an exponential rate. The United States Census Bureau (2011), shows that the youth account for forty eight percent of the total internet users in the country. Therefore, the youth market cannot be ignored in the marketing of the project. The youth are easily swept by peer pressure therefore the project can be presented as a must have for the trend conscious youths. By doing this, the critical market of the youth will be grasped. Also, the youth are adventurous and highly likely to try new things as compared to elderly people who have conservative mindsets. Hence, it is easier to market to the populous youth are also less risk averse and willing to try new technologies., Patterns and analysis The car parking industry has undergone significant changes over time in order to stay relevant to the changing times. One of the emerging trends in this sector has been the automation of the parking process as much as possible. Each aspect of the car parking process has undergone significant changes towards automation. The entries to car parking lots have been automated as well the payments calculation. Also, the counter mechanisms for monitoring the number of vehicles in a given parking lot has now become fully automated process (Schulle, 2004). Internet usage has also grown exponentially over the years. In fact, internet usage has become second nature to most people (World Bank, 2012). The trends in internet usage have evolved from browsing static web pages to the present dynamic websites with a lot of content. Electronic commerce has also become commonplace and the use of internet for various basic services is also prevalent. Online applications have been utilized to provide people with important information at the touch of a button. The gadgets used in accessing internet have also evolved rapidly over time. In the earlier times, internet was a novel technology and people could only access it in complex laboratories. Over time, the advent of personal computers made it possible for many people to access internet from their homes and offices. In the recent times, the manufacture of laptops with wireless internet access made it possible for people to use internet in various places. The most recent developments in mobile telephony have made it possible for the utilization of internet on the go by using devices such smart phones and tablets. Mobile broadband has revolutionalized the internet industry and thus making internet available to millions of people in an affordable and convenient way. In fact, internet access through mobile devices has surpassed the access through the traditional means of using a personal computer (United States Census Bureau, 2011) . The combination of the trends in the car parking sector and information communication technology has provided opportunity for the development of effective service offerings in the car parking sector. It is evident that and more people are utilizing the internet in their day to day activities. Most people have used the internet as a source of information. Therefore, this project of online booking system for car parking will come in handy especially for the people who use internet. Also, the use of the system will go a long way in ensuring that the problem of having to drive around in search of parking spaces is eliminated. Requirements specifications 1. Online booking system for car parking software 2. Computer with specifications of at least 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Disk, Core i3 3. 17 inch TFT screen 4. Linux/Unix operating system 5. Server software Bibliography American Society of Civil Engineers. 2001. Evaluation of the Trevipark automated parking system. New York: ASCE. Banman, R., 2009. Los Angeles: The architecture of four ecologies. California: University of California Press. Clint,, D., 2001. 3G Wireless Networks, New York: McGraw-Hill Telecommunication Series. Friedhelm H, ed. 2002. GSM and UMTS, The Creation of Global Mobile Communications. New York:John Wiley & Sons. Martins, H. 2006. Next generation car parking systems. London: Sage Publishers. Pala Z , Inanc N.,2003. “Smart Parking Applications Using RFID Technology”, 1st Annual Eurasia RFID Conference. Ankara. Peterson, H., Harrison, G., 2007. Car parking spaces: Importance of computerization. New York: McGraw Hill. Schulle, K, Jakle, J., 2004. Lots of parking: Land use in car culture. New York: Pearson. Stevens, M., 2008. Car parking nightmares. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stobbs, G., 2012. Software patents. 3rd ed. London: Aspen Publishers. United States Census Bureau. 2011. Internet usage trends. New York: United States Census Bureau World Bank. 2012. World internet usage report. Washington: The World Bank. Read More