AI-equipped patrol car scans 1,500 parking violators per hour
Published on Sep 30, 2025 at 5:19 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 30, 2025 at 5:19 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
A city in Germany has introduced an AI-equipped patrol car called Cityscanner to automate parking checks using cameras and lidar.
Heidelberg is set to launch a new trial that will see an AI-boosted patrol car used to go on the hunt for potential parking offenders.
Cityscanner is able to access a real-time database to spot parking violations.
The technology is able to check a whopping 1,500 vehicles every hour, making it a whole lot quicker than a human.
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The AI-equipped patrol car is heading to the streets
We’ve recently seen AI being introduced in more and more industries, including medicine, mechanics, and even dishing out popcorn to Tesla owners.
In the German city of Heidelberg, a new trial is set to get underway that will introduce an AI-equipped vehicle to the streets to hunt out parking violations.
Created by DCX Innovationis, Cityscanner uses cameras mounted onto a roof that can capture 25 frames per second.
The company says the device can be installed on any car.
It’s able to read license plates to check if cars are using valid spots, it even cross-references information from parking apps, while its lidar system is able to check if a car is in a restricted zone, such as a bike or bus lane – all in real-time.
The tech is capable of scanning around 1,500 cars an hour and will loop a route twice if it detects a violation to make sure.
Before a ticket is issued, a human must verify the information, providing another step to ensure its accuracy.
Several other European cities have already introduced the Cityscanner, with Heidelberg the latest to sign up to trial it.
Cityscanner made a big impact in another city it was used in
As you might have guessed, the Cityscanner isn’t cheap.
The unit, which can be fitted on top of any car, costs €130,000 – around $152,000.
However, the company behind the device says it has been a huge success in Warsaw, Poland.
According to the website, Cityscanner led to a 25 percent increase in parking fees being paid and was able to check 260 vehicles in just 10 minutes.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
