This Innovation from Malang State University Students Makes It Easy to Find Parking Spots

Kapanlagi.com - Students from Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) showcased their latest innovation at Cakra Kreasi 2025 in Graha Cakrawala on Thursday (22/5). This parking application is designed to address the complaints of Gen Z who often struggle to find parking spaces on campus, in shopping centers, or at tourist attractions. By utilizing smart sensors installed in each parking area, the application monitors the availability of empty slots in real-time and displays the parking status - whether the location is full, almost full, or still spacious - through an interactive map view.

After determining the available parking area, users can head directly to the location and mark their vehicle's position using the share location feature. The way it works is similar to the live location feature in messaging apps: with a single click, the vehicle's coordinates are recorded, and when it's time to go home, the application guides the user back to the car without the risk of getting lost. Don't worry about forgetfulness: the application even sends dynamic notifications if a parking area is nearing maximum capacity, giving users the chance to switch to an alternative location before arriving.

The main advantage of this application lies in time efficiency and vehicle security. Instead of wasting time driving around looking for empty slots, which often causes stress and fuel waste, users can move directly to verified available areas. Additionally, marking the location helps minimize the risk of forgetting the vehicle's position or mistakenly taking the wrong car, as well as reducing the likelihood of friction between vehicles due to improper parking.

The development team, consisting of students from the psychology, geography, civil engineering, and history departments, aims for initial implementation within the UM campus environment. "We start at UM because we understand the characteristics of the parking area here, and then we will expand to malls and other tourist spots through promotions on Instagram and door-to-door approaches," said Niwaya Novista Dewi. This innovation also supports Sustainable Development Goals number 9 regarding industry, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as number 11 concerning sustainable cities and communities, by optimizing parking space usage and reducing vehicle emissions caused by futile parking searches.

Through the P2MW selection and this exhibition, the team hopes that the UM parking application will soon be fully realized, bringing ease of mobility and safety for thousands of students and campus visitors. "We want to inspire students to continue innovating, while also providing real solutions to everyday problems," concluded Doni, a team member from Civil Engineering.

(kpl/jje)