Nx Hackathon Spotlight: 3rd Place - ThingTank's Smart Parking Solution

With the Nx Hackathon now behind us, we’re eager to speak more about the innovative solutions presented by our top prize winners. This week's focus is on our third-place winner, ThingTank, who developed an exceptional solution to address several challenges faced in private and public parking lots. Leveraging the tools provided in the Nx Toolkit of Network Optix's Enterprise Video Operating System, Nx EVOS, ThingTank's application uses security camera footage to monitor and detect parking slot occupancy in real-time, track the lot's total occupation, and automatically alert lot owners in the case of an emergency. This innovative approach not only facilitates quicker parking spot location for drivers but also enhances overall parking lot management and safety.

Approach to Detect Occupancy

ThingTank's system employs advanced deep learning algorithms, such as MaskRCNN and YOLO, to identify the location of parking slots within the security camera footage. Once the spaces are identified, classifiers are used to determine the presence or absence of vehicles and output information about the type of spot, whether the spot is vacant or occupied, and the duration of occupancy to the management system.

Solution Demo

Key Features and Benefits

Optimized Parking Space Utilization
ThingTank's solution utilizes the Nx AI Manager to configure an AI model designed to identify available parking spots, significantly reducing the time drivers spend searching for spots and maximizing the use of the lot.

Cost-effective and Low-maintenance Solution
By using existing on-site video cameras instead of expensive and maintenance-intensive ground-mounted sensors, ThingTank's application provides a budget-friendly alternative for parking lot monitoring. This reduces the maintenance costs of the lot while ensuring a much more reliable performance.

Improved Accuracy and Reduced Errors in Parking Management
The system empowers site managers to optimize parking lot utilization with greater accuracy, fewer errors, and more reliable data, leading to better management of available spaces and a more organized parking facility.

Fire Detection Integration
In addition to monitoring parking space occupancy, ThingTank's application integrates fire detection capabilities for additional safety. This feature detects potential accidents and vehicle fires early, preventing escalation and enhancing safety for both vehicles and drivers.