Dubai: A mobile app called ‘ParkEye’, created by a team of students at American University in Dubai (AUD), which allows motorists to find vacant parking slots, has won Season 2 of Software AG’s ‘Future Disruptors Award’ in Dubai.
The prototype was voted as the winner in the contest that encouraged participants to address real-world challenges through Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based innovative models.
Three sections
ParkEye is an AI-based smart parking mobile application that allows users to navigate to vacant parking slots by identifying parked slots. It consists of three main sections: an AI model that can identify cars and locate parking slots; a smart parking mobile app to allow users to navigate to parking slots and get some statistics about the parking lots, and an IoT cloud platform.
Scaling up
The winning AUD team said in a statement: “A model of the working system was designed to showcase the basic workings of the smart detector. However, the system can then be implemented at a larger scale to allow for parking detection throughout different residential blocks, outdoor parking in public areas, and eventually across the entire city.”
Dr Wael, the Dean of the School of Engineering at AUD is the project advisor and the participating students are Hana Ali, David Ibrahim, Youssef Youssef and Maab ElSheikh.
The shortlisted finalist teams received IoT training and funding to build the prototype for showcasing at GITEX Global. The finalists also have the opportunity to intern at Software AG, Dubai, with hands-on experience with projects and career opportunities to eligible interns.
Future disruptors
Rami Kichli, Vice President, Gulf & Levant, Software AG, said: “The future disruptors programme is a way of fostering innovative ideas and developing viable solutions for the industry. With the programme in sync with UAE’s vision, we will do our best to continue encouraging youth and their ideas and enable them to act as a force for change in the regional economy.”
He added: “It has been one more wonderful year of students coming together and creating untapped solutions worthwhile for the real world. My heartfelt congratulation and best wishes to the teams on their immense success.”
More projects
Other innovative projects include the ‘Smart Social Distancing’ detector by students of RIT University in Dubai that enables users to monitor multiple areas and report violations in real time. Another one is ‘DigiStay’ by students of Middlesex University that empowers hoteliers to provide guests with real-time and personalised experiences all along the guest journey, including at check-in.
