September 15, 2022

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. (Head Office: Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, President and CEO: Isogawa Tatsuyuki) has announced the launch elevator type car parking system "ELEPARK^"mechanical car parking systems operation support tool "ShinMaywa Parking" for E and F models. We have developed the support app “Spasa” and will start selling it from October 20, 2022.

"Spasa" is a service (optional) that utilizes IoT to further enhance the functionality of parking facilities installed in condominiums, office buildings, etc., as well as improve convenience and safety for users.

The main feature of the newly developed "Spasa" application is that it enables the equipment side to read the license plate number and automatically call up the necessary pallet using the AI-based image recognition function when the vehicle is stopped at a predetermined position in front of mechanical car parking systems after the vehicle's license plate information is registered in "Spasa" in advance. By using this application, drivers no longer need to get off the car to operate the control panel or operate the remote control from inside the car, greatly improving convenience. In addition, the application is equipped with a revolutionary function, the first of its kind in the industry, that automatically obtains vehicle registration information (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle inspection information") from the license plate information entered into "Spasa" and determines on the spot whether the vehicle can enter the mechanical car parking systems registered in the application based on vehicle information (overall length, overall width, overall height, vehicle weight, etc.).

In addition, in order to promote the spread of electric vehicles (EVs), we have developed a rotating charging system, and by linking it with Spasa's charging reservation function, you can reserve charging on the app from anywhere.

The development of "Spasa" this time is jointly with Nealle Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Yota Sato, hereinafter "Nealle"), a startup company that operates the mobility SaaS "Park Direct" etc. Our company was in charge of developing license plate image recognition technology using AI (artificial intelligence) and creating the content to be included in the app, while Neely was in charge of developing the app itself.
Our company and Neely entered into a business alliance in March 2021 with the aim of increasing the added value of products and services for parking lots and automobiles and improving convenience for parking lot users. We have narrowed down the issues related to the operation of mechanical car parking systems to the following four issues and developed this app as a means to solve them.

Four issues in operating mechanical car parking systems: "Spasa" solves these!

[Issue 1] There is a limit to the size of the storage vehicle

Mechanical car parking systems sets the size of vehicles that can be accommodated for each equipment, so even if there is an empty pallet, some vehicles may not be able to enter the parking lot. I had to check.

Spasa's "determination of whether or not to park'' is possible by inputting the license plate information into "Spasa'', and the parking facility obtains vehicle inspection information from the system of a registered information provider approved by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and ShinMaywa If mechanical car parking systems is registered with "Spasa", you can instantly check on the app whether or not it can be parked by comparing it with the database of equipment owned by Spasa. We have improved convenience for users when purchasing an apartment or replacing a car.

[Issue 2] Machine operations such as loading and unloading are cumbersome and time consuming

Each time a user parks or leaves a parking lot, they have to operate the remote control or get out of the vehicle and call up the storage pallet from the control panel.

SMART stock receipt

Register your license plate information in Spasa in advance, and when you park at a predetermined location in front of mechanical car parking systems, the camera reads the license plate, and image recognition using AI automatically calls the pallet, making it possible to do so without any operations. did. Users can decide whether or not to use this feature themselves.

SMART issue

The "Delivery Reservation" function from a smartphone, which has traditionally been an option for "ELEPARK^​", has been consolidated into "Spasa". By combining the above-mentioned "automatic pallet summoning" using license plate image recognition with the "auto door closing system" (automatic door closing device), which was launched in June 2020, the number of times users alight and how often they use the control panel will be reduced. We have achieved smooth unloading (SMART unloading) even in rainy or windy conditions.

[Issue 3] Ensuring further safety for users

Mechanical car parking systems must be operated by users while checking the safety of their surroundings.

"Spasa" has content that allows you to check the handling of parking equipment on the app, and for matters that require training on the actual machine, such as confirming the location of the emergency stop button, handling education content * is provided on the control panel when using it for the first time. It will be displayed automatically. In addition, the user's manual can be viewed on the app when needed, allowing users to always use the parking facility safely.

• * The effectiveness of the education has been confirmed through demonstration experiments in advance.

[Issue 4] EV penetration is not progressing

When multiple EV charging equipment is installed within mechanical car parking systems, the maximum power demand becomes the contracted power, making it difficult to increase the number of applicable pallets due to cost considerations.

SMART charging

We have developed a rotating charging system (high-volume charging with low power reception) that charges multiple vehicles (4 to 5 vehicles) with the power receiving capacity of one vehicle, allowing users to make charging reservations and charge completion times even when the user's vehicle is not in the warehouse. In addition to improving convenience, such as being able to check on the app, the system also features a mechanism that allows charging many vehicles with a small amount of power receiving capacity. This will also contribute to the construction of infrastructure for the spread of EVs.

Since developing the first mechanical car parking systems in 1964, we have developed a variety of mechanical car parking systems with the aim of creating a comfortable urban environment. Currently, we boast the top share in Japan for elevator-type mechanical car parking systems, and in recent years we have been focusing on receiving orders with the aim of providing safe and comfortable parking equipment targeting the rapidly developing Southeast Asian region.

In the future, we will not only continue with product development, such as enhancing the functions of Spasa, but also propose a high-quality lifestyle that is one step ahead for users, and use the technological capabilities we have cultivated so far and new technological innovations to make it safer. We will continue to contribute to the provision of comfortable urban infrastructure.

1. 1.Main sales target: Developer
2. 2.Sales start date: October 20, 2022
3. 3.Start of installation of mechanical car parking systems compatible with “Spasa”: October 2023
   “Spasa” service starts: April 2024
4. 4.Target number of installations: 30 units/year

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