Real-Time Parking with Computer Vision: ParkSmart on Kotlin and Socket.IO

Drivers spend 17 hours per year searching for parking. ParkSmart eliminates this with real-time vacancy data pushed directly to mobile maps.

1. Spatial Queries with PostGIS

We use PostGIS to find available spots within a radius of the user's location:

sql
SELECT id, name, ST_Distance(location, ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint($1, $2), 4326)) AS distance
FROM parking_spots
WHERE is_available = true
AND ST_DWithin(location, ST_SetSRID(ST_MakePoint($1, $2), 4326), 0.01)
ORDER BY distance LIMIT 20;

2. Real-Time Updates via Socket.IO

When a spot's status changes (detected by camera feeds), the Node.js server emits updates to all connected clients within that geographic zone.

3. QR Code Gate Entry

Users scan a QR code at parking garage gates, which validates their reservation and opens the barrier automatically.

Summary

Combining spatial databases with WebSocket streaming gives drivers live parking intelligence, reducing search time by 80%.