Skip to main content

ParkNow and BMW solution takes Intertraffic 2018 Innovation Award

A smart parking solution which directs city drivers to the likeliest available spaces based on historical and real-time traffic flow data has won the overall prize at the Intertraffic 2018 Innovation Awards. The On-Street Parking Information (OSPI) feature in BMW cars, coupled with an in-dash payments system from ParkNow, guides drivers to the area in which they should have the best chance of parking and then allows them to pay for it. Peter van der Knaap, CEO of Dutch road safety institute SWOV and jury
March 22, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
BMW's Stephanie Zeilinger with Park Now's Tobias Scheibling, centre and Marc de Vries

A smart parking solution which directs city drivers to the likeliest available spaces based on historical and real-time traffic flow data has won the overall prize at the 70 Intertraffic 2018 Innovation Awards.

The On-Street Parking Information (OSPI) feature in BMW cars, coupled with an in-dash payments system from ParkNow, guides drivers to the area in which they should have the best chance of parking and then allows them to pay for it.

Peter van der Knaap, CEO of Dutch road safety institute SWOV and jury chairman, announced the winner during the official opening of the show. The award judges were impressed with the seamlessness of ParkNow’s payment technology, and with the level of system integration into the car’s dashboard – thus reducing the potential for driver distraction.

Ben Rutten of Eindhoven University of Technology said: “ParkNow and BMW’s OSPI will result in a hassle-free last mile, as well as reducing distances driven, resulting in cleaner cities and less congested roads.”

A colour-coded navigation map highlights the optimum routes for urban drivers to try, based on information such as parking meter payments and transactions from parking apps, as well as machine learning algorithms. When drivers leave the parking spot, their transaction is automatically closed.

Intertraffic 2018 Innovation category winners

  • Infrastructure: CROSS Zlin OptiWIM
  • Traffic Management: Eco-Counter Citix-3D
  • Safety: Sernis Tecnologic Solutions SR-90
  • Smart Mobility: BMW & ParkNow On-Street Parking   Information (OSPI)
  • Parking: ParkHere Self-powered Parking Sensor

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Amsterdam and TomTom join forces to create a smarter city
    November 25, 2016
    TomTom and the City of Amsterdam will collaborate on the development of traffic and travel concepts to improve traffic flow and parking in the Dutch capital. They plan to investigate new ways to measure traffic flow, understand parking behaviour and enable city planners and inhabitants to make smarter traffic decisions. Using the insights from TomTom’s Traffic data, the city government will now be able to make better decisions about accessibility and mobility throughout the city. As a result of the agree
  • Taking the hassle out of parking
    April 29, 2015
    A team of senior electrical and computer engineers from Rice University in Houston, Texas, has developed a new parking technology called ParkiT, with the aim of making it easier to find a parking space in a crowded car park. The team claims the new system is cheaper than sensor technology currently being used and would provide car park managers and attendants with real time information on available parking spaces. That information could then be shared with drivers through electronic signs or a driver-fri
  • UK start-up receives funding for artificial intelligence that could end traffic jams
    May 17, 2017
    UK start-up Vivacity Labs, creators of a sensor with in-built machine-learning that can identify individual road users and manage traffic accordingly has secured a total of US$3.8 million (£3 million) in funding, that could pave the way for driverless cars and truly smart cities that can recognise different vehicles and regulate traffic in real-time. The company has secured a US$2.2 million (£1.7 million) project grant from Innovate UK to roll out a city-wide sensor network for the VivaMK project and a str
  • Q-Free highlights new tech and 40th anniversary
    August 23, 2024
    Q-Free celebrates its 40th anniversary at the ITS World Congress, marking four decades of innovation, growth and leadership in intelligent transportation. From a small company in Norway to a global powerhouse with offi ces in 13 countries, Q-Free is renewing its commitment to the industry, its customers, and the driving public in Dubai.