A marker-based image processing method for detecting available parking slots from UAVs

Abstract

Due to the considerable number of vehicles in many cities, parking problem is a long-term phenomenon and represents one of the main causes of traffic congestion. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can handle automatic monitoring of traffic, pollution and other interesting services in urban areas non-invasively. UAVs are usually equipped with one or more onboard cameras and with other electronic sensors. In this context, a method for parking slot occupancy detection in parking areas is presented. For recognition of free parking spaces, pictures of urban areas captured by the onboard camera of the UAV are georeferenced and processed for marker detection. The implemented system shows good results in terms of robustness and reliability. Moreover, it paves the way for an improved management of urban spaces.