The Munich startup ParkHere GmbH, the Munich public utilities (SWM) and the Munich transport company (MVG) are jointly taking an important step towards smart urban infrastructure: Electronic parking sensors at the Münchner Freiheit mobility station display free car-sharing spaces, including charging spaces for electric cars, almost in real time.
The intelligent technology for this provides ParkHereFounded in 2015, the startup is a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and has been supported by the UnternehmerTUM innovation and startup center from the outset.
Energy-autonomous pressure sensors
The environmentally friendly system is based on self-powered pressure sensors installed in the asphalt. These are the first self-powered sensors for parking management that require neither batteries nor a power connection. With this pilot project, SWM/MVG and ParkHere aim to jointly learn under real-world conditions and further develop the smart infrastructure for e-mobility. As part of the pilot project, the occupancy status of the six car-sharing parking spaces at Münchner Freiheit can initially only be viewed on MVG multimobil.
In the future, however, this will also be the case in the MVG more app. There, users will be able to see not only the occupancy status of the electric charging station but also the occupancy status of the associated parking space. SWM/MVG and ParkHere aim to contribute to making electric mobility more attractive in Munich: The simplified and targeted search for available charging stations also increases the incentive to use electric cars. Data transmission takes place via mobile communications.
“Everything that is green and space-efficient must have priority!”
Further practical applications are conceivable: Car-sharing providers could, for example, offer their users free parking spaces at the mobility station via an on-board computer, thus increasing the availability of vehicles at the station for subsequent customers. Such scenarios are also being investigated in the City2Share research project based on radar-based sensor technology in the Ludwigs-/Isarvorstadt district.
Felix Harteneck, CEO of ParkHere, explains:
"The ParkHere sensors are a maintenance-free and reliable solution for at least 25 years, allowing even existing parking spaces to be easily and quickly retrofitted with intelligent and cost-effective sensors. They enable accurate vehicle detection in public and semi-public parking spaces. The sensor technology is environmentally friendly and sustainable: The sensor uses the 'energy harvesting' principle and generates its required energy from the weight of the cars driving over it when parking or leaving. Neither an external power supply nor maintenance-intensive batteries are required."
Ingo Wortmann, MVG CEO and SWM Managing Director of Transport:
"We are expanding MVG into Munich's mobility service provider, setting the course for the right transport mix of the future. The objective is clear: Everything that is green and space-efficient must have priority! (...). Since 2016, we have also been collaborating closely with startups to jointly develop new products and optimize our own ideas with those of our partners. ParkHere's technology is a particularly interesting example for measuring parking space occupancy."
