Research on a Drone‐Based Vacant Parking Detection System

It can be difficult to know which spaces are available in parking lots and bicycle parking areas, so knowing the availability status is necessary for efficient parking. Therefore, in this study, we developed the drone that can display the availability status. Availability is determined by whether it can read a QR code attached to the ground. To conduct the survey accurately and safely, we improved hovering performance by correcting the position and altitude sensors, and equipped the drone with an avoidance function to avoid contact with obstacles. We also made the drone smaller and lighter to extend the flight time, developing an octocopter drone that can survey large spaces. Experiments confirmed the effectiveness of the flight control and avoidance function in hovering, as well as the effectiveness of the system that displays the availability status. © 2025 The Author(s). IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering published by Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.