Inspiration
The team was inspired by the parking issues faced on campus, where both students and faculty struggle to find adequate parking. Consequently, the group wanted to focus on something local with relevant importance.
What it does
The product would be an app, an extension of the existing MyClemsonApp, which would serve to let commuters see where available parking on campus with red and green slots. After a user goes to an open green parking spot, they will be able to claim the spot in the app and enter some basic information. When they leave, they will reopen their parking spot and the app will mark it as available again.
How we built it
We built a demo using a website and python with the buttons correlating to parking spots that change colors for availability based on the selection. We used Arena for test simulating and created a protype interface using basic shapes.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenge we ran into was the group had limited knowledge on traffic/parking simulation software. We also struggled in making a mobile app, so we had to approach it differently by making a website and combining our skills. Lastly, Clemson data on parking isn't readily available for public use, so we couldn't take advantage of the existing information on parking sensors.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We're proud of the potential solution, which we think everyone would benefit from being able to save time instead of looking around parking lots that are already full.
What we learned
We were able to learn a good amount about parking and traffic through existing studies and data, even some conducted by Clemson themselves.
What's next for CU-Parking
The group acknowledged the limitations with self-reporting data and students not participating or it not being updated frequently enough. Thus, we decided to address future implications and next steps. For example, geo-spatial location services to ensure people aren't taking spots while being too far from the spots. Additionally, the app can collaborate with the existing CU-Icar parking vehicles to update any discrepancies, like if an available spot is actually taken. A level of automation to remove unavailable spots that haven't been updated in days, can likely assume that person has left the parking spot. Lastly, the biggest future implication would be for Clemson to add sensors under each of the parking spots, similar to the Brooks center, which can instantly update the app in real-time.
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