Ultimate Arduino Smart Parking Management System (2025) | Full Guide + Top Electronics Kits

Build your own Arduino Smart Parking Lot System with LCD, IR sensors, servos, and shift register! Discover the best products and step-by-step instructions for makers, students, and smart city enthusiasts.
Note: Elegoo boards are not official Arduino, but are fully compatible with Arduino IDE and much more affordable for education and prototyping.

Introduction: Why Build a Smart Parking Management System with Arduino?

As urban areas grow and available parking spaces shrink, efficient parking management is essential for modern cities and campuses. This Smart Parking System project uses Arduino Uno (or Mega), a 74HC165 shift register, IR sensors, servo motors, an LCD, and LEDs to monitor and control 8 parking spots with real-time feedback and automated entry/exit gates.
Perfect for: IoT enthusiasts, students, engineers, smart city developers, and anyone wanting to learn advanced Arduino automation!

Project Overview: Features & Workflow

• Monitors 8 parking spots using IR/proximity sensors and the 74HC165 shift register (minimizes Arduino pin usage).
• Displays real-time parking status on a 16x2 LCD (X = occupied, Y = free).
• Automates entry & exit gates with servo motors based on IR sensor triggers.
• Visual feedback with green/red LEDs for available/full status and gate control.
• Fully scalable: Easily expand to more spots with additional shift registers.

Hardware Requirements & Shopping List

Component	Quantity	Description
Arduino Uno / Mega / Compatible	1	Main microcontroller (see Elegoo MEGA R3 on Amazon)
16x2 LCD Display	1	Status display (integrated with Arduino)
74HC165 Shift Register	1	Reads 8 sensors with 3 pins
IR Sensors	2	Detect entry and exit
Servo Motors	2	Entry/exit gate control
Green/Red LEDs	1 each	Gate/parking indication
Parking Spot Sensors	8	Detect car presence
Resistors	8	Pull-down for sensors
Jumper Wires	40+	Use this kit
Breadboard	1	Prototyping
USB to Serial Module	1	For code upload/debug (CH340 set)

Note: For a complete starter experience, get the ELEGOO 37-in-1 Sensor Kit.

How the System Works

1. Parking Spot Monitoring:
   8 sensors connect to the shift register. Arduino reads the status (occupied/free) for each spot using only 3 digital pins.
2. Entry Control:
   When a car is detected at the entry IR sensor:
   • If spots are available, green LED lights up, entry gate servo opens, and LCD updates.
   • If full, red LED lights up and gate stays closed (LCD shows full).
3. Exit Control:
   Exit IR sensor triggers exit gate servo to open.
4. Real-Time Feedback:
   LCD shows spot numbers and live status. LEDs indicate system state at a glance.

1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|
Y|X|Y|X|Y|Y|Y|X|   ← Example: some spots free
1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|
X|X|X|X|X|X|X|X|   ← Example: parking full
      

Wiring Guide: Key Connections

• 74HC165: SH/LD (A1), CLK (3), SO (2); D0-D7 to sensors; VCC/GND as usual.
• IR Entry Sensor: OUT to pin 4. Exit Sensor: OUT to pin 5.
• Servo Motors: Entry servo to A2, exit servo to A3.
• Green LED: Pin 7 (w/ 220Ω resistor).
• Red LED: Pin 6 (w/ 220Ω resistor).
• LCD: RS=13, E=12, D4–D7=11,10,9,8; VO to potentiometer for contrast.

Best Pi Kit CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit PRO

Why? All-in-one kit with 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, and accessories—perfect for IoT, smart city, and embedded projects.

Mega Board ELEGOO MEGA R3 Board ATmega 2560

Why? High pin count, perfect for complex automation & parking control with multiple sensors and displays.

Sensor Kit ELEGOO Upgraded 37 in 1 Sensor Modules Kit

Why? 37 sensors for all your IR, proximity, and automation needs—essential for parking spot monitoring.

Jumper Wires 40 PCS 20 CM Breadboard Jumper Wires

Why? Durable, flexible, and color-coded—ideal for connecting sensors, shift registers, and LCDs.

USB to Serial HiLetgo 5pcs USB to Serial CH340 Module

Why? Easy Arduino programming, debugging, and expansion for all your smart parking projects.

Code Overview: Main Functions

• Initialization: Pin modes, LCD, servos, shift register.
• Loop: Reads all sensors, updates spots[], refreshes LCD, opens/closes gates, toggles LEDs.
• readShiftRegister(): Reads all spot sensors via the shift register.

Full code on GitHub: Smart Parking System Arduino Code

Applications & Expansion Ideas

• Parking Facilities: Monitor and automate access for garages, malls, offices.
• Smart City Projects: Integrate with IoT dashboards, real-time data, or cloud services.
• Scale Up: Daisy-chain shift registers (74HC165) for more spots!
• Education: Great for STEM classes, university projects, or robotics clubs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Can I use Raspberry Pi instead of Arduino?
  Yes! Use CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 for advanced smart city or Python-based apps.
• Is Elegoo as good as Arduino?
  100% compatible, lower cost, perfect for learning and prototyping!
• How do I expand to 16 or more spots?
  Add more 74HC165 shift registers and update code for more parking detection.
• Can I monitor remotely?
  Yes, integrate WiFi modules or connect to IoT platforms for real-time web dashboards.

Related Topics

• arduino smart parking system project
• arduino parking lot management automation
• 74HC165 shift register parking
• arduino lcd parking project
• entry exit gate automation with arduino
• smart city parking IoT solution
• best arduino starter kit 2025
• elegoo vs arduino board
• arduino servo gate code
• arduino IR sensor parking project

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