Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Plug the meter? Forget about it

Winnipeg testing GPS device to let drivers park, walk

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 11/25/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Dave Hill holds a Skymeter box that uses GPS to determine where a vehicle is parked. (RUTH.BONNEVILLE@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

Winnipeg is the first city in the world to try out a satellite-monitoring device that will eventually allow motorists to pay for parking by doing... well, absolutely nothing other than parking.

The Winnipeg Parking Authority is testing a prototype version of a GPS gadget called a Skymeter, which pings orbiting satellites to determine where it is and how long it's been there.

To solve the "wandering" associated with ordinary global positioning system units, which occasionally provide inaccurate location data, the Skymeter uses triangulation software to pinpoint a precise location.

Once the bugs are worked out, motorists could pay for parking merely by placing the device in their car and turning it on. They would then receive a parking bill based on the GPS data at the end of every month.

"You acquire the device, you put it in your car -- and you do nothing," said Dave Hill, the WPA's chief operating officer, who is trying out one of the gizmos in his own truck. A total of three are being tested in Winnipeg.

Hill was first asked to try out a GPS parking device in 2002, when he worked as a consultant in Toronto. He agreed, but didn't hear from the inventors he calls "mad scientists" until years later, after he moved to Winnipeg.

As it turns out, this city is an ideal Skymeter testing ground, given its sprawling layout and the relative absence of the tall buildings that can interfere with satellite signals.

Winnipeg is already one of several Canadian cities to employ cellphone-enabled parking, which allows motorists to pay for parking by merely phoning in a location and paying by pre-registered credit card.

GPS parking would eliminate the need to do anything other than flip on a switch, assuming motorists are willing to pay $40 or $50 for the device itself.

J.D. Hassan, Skymeter's vice-president of business development, said his company would probably sell the gadget below cost to place it in the hands of consumers, the same way smartphones are sold right now.

The device also has pay-as-you-drive applications for heavily congested European countries where politicians are considering radical means of getting more people out of their cars, Hassan said. It could also eliminate the need for both conventional and electronic toll booths.

But in Winnipeg, the long-term plan for Skymeter only involves parking. The WPA plans to test about 10 of the finished models next year and would make the technology available across the city if Skymeter demonstrates they actually work.

The final product will employ software to ensure it only transmits billing information, not actual locations, which would pose huge privacy concerns in most western countries, Hassan said. While the technology has obvious espionage and military applications, Skymeter is only interested in the consumer market.

"This won't be used to write parking tickets or track where you've been," said Hill, staring at a Google Earth display that shows he parked at St. Vital Shopping Centre. "I went to New York Fries and bought a hotdog. I live a very exciting life."

Such displays are only being used during the testing phase, Hassan assured.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 25, 2009 B1

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.