PARCS: Parking Authorized for Random

Commuter StudentsMid-Semester PresentationSenior Design IOctober 13, 2015

The Random Commuters

Mark Ewing

Electrical Engineering

Team Leader

Daniel Crist

Electrical Engineering

Connor Green

Electrical Engineering

Advisor

Dr. Robert Reese

ECE Department

Education:• Ph.D., Texas A&M

University, 1985 • M.S., Texas A&M

University, 1982 • B.S., Louisiana Tech

University, 1979

Overview

Problem

Solution

System Overview

Constraints• Technical• Practical

Approach

Progress

Problem• Options for Commuters

at MSU:• Decal• Timed parking• 1 Day Permit

• Ineffective parking enforcement

Solution

• T2 Parking Solutions

Our Solution – The PARCS Meter

• Cheaper meter, less than $400.

• Easily scalable with no infrastructure necessary for installation

• Billable to student accounts

• Parking violations notify Parking Services via email = No extra training for PS employees

System Overview

Technical ConstraintsType Details

Power System Must be independently powered and capable of processing 18 cars a day

Wireless Communication

Must be able to communicate with a wireless access point and adhere to wireless communication standards [1]

Vehicle Detection Must detect the presence of a vehicle on a paved parking spot and function within the environmental extreme temperatures of -10°F to 120°F. [2], [3]. The sensor needs to detect a vehicle that is between 5 inches and 5 feet away.

User Interface Must communicate with the server to approve or deny user access within 10 seconds

Violation Notification Must notify parking services of violations within 1 minute of infraction

Practical Constraint:Ethical - Security

• Student account information transferred over network

• User account information sharing must be secure

Practical Constraint:Social - Ease of Operation

• Spot is unoccupied and available for parking

• Parking is not being charged at this time

• User information has been confirmed, user is being charged for time in use

• Spot occupied and user has not been validated ILLEGALLY

OCCUPIEDAuthorized

VACANTFREE

Approach - MicrocontrollerPros Cons

Raspberry Pi 2 • 17 usable pins [4]• Expandable storage• Widely used

platform

• WiFi add on• Security updates• No sleep mode• High power

consumption

Imp002b • Low sleep power (6 μA)

• Installed security and data encryption

• Fail-safe firmware updates

• Built in WiFi

• 12 usable pins• Does not function

on WPA2 Enterprise

Approach - SensorPros Cons

Passive Infrared (PIR)

• Low power • Detection affected by temperature

• Detects humans• Motion required for

detection

Ultrasonic • Simple programming

• Aim-able• Long range

• Cost• Detects humans• Data filtering needed

Magnetic • Large detection area

• Detects large ferrous objects (not-humans)

• Vulnerable to electrical interference

• Will detect nearby cars/Cannot be aimed

• Cost of installation

Approach – Power SystemType Pros ConsSolar • Easily

implementable• Provides

potentially high levels of power

• Requires sunlight• Quality of sunlight

affect energy collected

Thermal • Provides energy despite environmental changes

• Requires consistent heat source/fuel

• Low energy output

Gravity • Generates energy with vehicle weight

• Requires extensive mechanical design

• Large footprint

Power System – Voltaic Kit• Package solution: solar

panel, charging circuit, battery

• 3.5 W Panel

• 4000 mAh Battery

• Weatherproof

• Scratch resistant

• Short-circuit, over-charge, and temperature protection

High-Level Overview

Solar Panel Battery Controller Battery

Ultrasonic Sensor Card Reader Backpack

IMP Micro-controller

Servo Motor

LCD DisplayServer IMP Cloud

Progress

• Microcontroller communicates through MSU wireless network

• Code for LCD, Sensor, and Card Reader under development

• State flow diagram for user interface completed.

Timeline of Design

August September October November December

Research

Hardware

Software

Testing & Debugging

Working Prototype

Completed

Current

Upcoming

References[1] Ecfr.gov, 'eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations', 2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=59dc0d0e30809c6ef8ba8eddd3f7a9a9&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title47/47cfr15_main_02.tpl. [Accessed: 15- Sep- 2015].

[2] Usatoday30.usatoday.com, 'USATODAY.com', 2015. [Online]. Available: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/wcstates.htm. [Accessed: 29- Sep- 2015].

[3] Weather Questions, 'Weather Questions & Answers', 2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_are_the_highest_temperatures_recorded_in_the_u_s.htm. [Accessed: 29- Sep- 2015].

[4] Raspberrypi.org, 'GPIO: Raspberry Pi Models A and B - Raspberry Pi Documentation', 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/usage/gpio/. [Accessed: 10- Oct- 2015].