IoMobility Solutions s. r. o. is a smart mobility integrator based in Martin, central Slovakia. In April 2024 it installed Fleximodo parking guidance signage: an outdoor flip-dot display with three digits, powered by its own solar cell and updated over LoRaWAN. The sign shows drivers how many spaces are free before they reach the car park.
System architecture
- Occupancy source. A count of free spaces is produced for the car park the sign serves. [CONFIRM: sensors or other counting system]
- Platform. The Fleximodo backend holds the current count and sends the value the sign should show.
- Network. The sign receives updates over LoRaWAN. The same gateways can serve LoRaWAN parking sensors, so one radio network carries both detection and display traffic.
- Display. A three-digit flip-dot module. Each dot is a small mechanical disc that flips between two colours and stays put without power, so the sign draws energy only when the number changes. A reflective coating keeps it readable in direct sunlight without a backlight.
Because the display needs so little energy, a solar cell on the unit is enough to run it. There is no mains connection and no data cable, so installation is a post, the sign and the mounting kit.
What was deployed
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sign type | Parking guidance signage, outdoor |
| Display | Flip-dot, 3 digits, reflective coating |
| Power | Solar cell on the unit, no mains connection |
| Connectivity | LoRaWAN |
| Refresh | About every 16 seconds |
| Protection | IP64 |
| Operating range | -40 °C to +85 °C |
| Quantity | [CONFIRM: number of signs] |
Integration notes
- Siting the solar panel. The panel needs daylight through the winter. Check shade from buildings and trees at the chosen post before fixing the position.
- LoRaWAN coverage at the post. The sign is a LoRaWAN device and needs a gateway in range. If the car park already has LoRaWAN sensors, the sign uses the same gateway.
- Near-live counts. With updates about every 16 seconds, the number on the sign stays close to the live count as cars arrive and leave.
- Accurate counts upstream. The sign is only as good as its data. Fleximodo sensors use magnetometer plus radar detection with automatic temperature compensation, and Fleximodo quotes 99.96% detection accuracy.
Sign formats are on the guidance signage page, and sensors that can feed it are on the IoT parking sensor page. For a two-sign NB-IoT layout see Ibbenbüren, and for a Slovak project combining sensors and signage see Piešťany.