Design and Implementation of an IoT-Based Smart Parking Prototype

This paper presents the design, implementation, and preliminary assessment of a three-space Internet of Things (IoT) smart parking prototype motivated by parking-management needs in Amman, Jordan. The system combines an ESP32 development board, infrared (IR) occupancy sensors, an RC522 radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, light-emitting diode indicators, a liquid-crystal display, servo-operated model barriers, and a Blynk interface. IR sensing provides space-status information, while three colour-coded RFID tags are associated with spaces P01–P03 to support a parking-location reminder. The documented demonstrations illustrate parking-state changes and the display of tag-associated locations. An exploratory demonstration involving ten users reported 80% satisfaction, suggesting interest in the concept without establishing population-level acceptance. Preliminary technical indicators are presented with their reporting limitations because trial counts and event-level records do not accompany the study. Larger-facility search-time comparisons are retained separately as illustrative scenarios rather than measured outcomes. The contribution is an integrated proof of concept that distinguishes occupancy detection, tag identification, and user information within a small parking model. The implementation provides a basis for further development, but reproducible bench testing, an ESP32-specific wiring record, stronger identity-to-space association, and controlled field evaluation are needed to establish operational reliability and actual parking-search-time benefits.