Smart parking in Wolfsburg - we make parking digital
Sensor technology ensures less search traffic and more sustainability
We rely on innovative technologies to make parking easier and more efficient. In the Meckauerweg parking lot, also known as the Hühner-Rudi parking lot, smart sensors record parking space occupancy in real time and transmit the data directly to the Wolfsburg app. This allows all users to see whether a parking space is free before they leave.
With innovative technologies and digital solutions, we are working on projects that not only make mobility easier, but also overcome ecological and infrastructural challenges. Key projects include the digital parking guidance system, the MobiLab, the Fallersleben mobility laboratory and the smart parking test field on Meckauerweg.
At the heart of these developments is the vision of enabling data-based decisions for more efficient traffic planning and at the same time offering citizens a convenient mobility experience.
Smart parking test field: the parking lot on Meckauerweg becomes smart
The sensors installed on Meckauerweg use AI-supported object recognition to detect both parked vehicles and moving search traffic. They were developed by Starwit Technologies GmbH, a young start-up from Fallersleben. The technology is based on a modular system consisting of sensors, software and a central computer module at the parking space. Unlike conventional ground sensors, these are attached to a ten-metre-high mast from which the entire parking area is monitored.
A pilot project with a future
Jens Hofschröer, Head of Digital and Economic Affairs, explains: "The data collected on Meckauerweg is not only a key component of the planned digital parking guidance system, but also a valuable basis for urban planning decisions. Smart technologies like this show how we can make mobility simpler, more efficient and more sustainable." This innovative solution not only makes free parking spaces visible, but also records search traffic and the resulting traffic jams. This data provides valuable insights for traffic and urban planning and helps to reduce traffic congestion in the city center. After all, less search traffic means lower CO₂ emissions and more efficient use of traffic areas. The knowledge gained is to be extended to other areas in Wolfsburg in the future.
Thanks to an update, the occupancy of the parking lot can now also be viewed quickly and easily in the Wolfsburg app. This allows citizens to see the current traffic situation on Meckauerweg before they set off.