The micro-mobility company, Bird, has launched an AR-powered new parking technology, Bird Visual Parking System (VPS), to geo-localized parked e-scooters with pinpoint accuracy. Bird VPS will be available for free to city partners and requires no infrastructure or technology investments.

It is a revolutionary new parking tool built using Google’s ARCore Geospatial API. It leverages years of Google 3D scanning, augmented reality, and Google Maps Street View data from across the globe. It will enable Bird riders to accurately and precisely end their eco-friendly rides while adhering to parking guidelines to keep the walkways and ramps free of any obstruction.

“The new ARCore Geospatial API from Google is an absolute game-changer for micro-mobility that allows us to offer cities a first-of-its-kind Visual Parking System that’s unmatched in terms of accuracy and scalability,” said Justin Balthrop, Chief Technology Officer at Bird.

Bird VPS will solve the huge ‘parking’ problem for rapidly-growing cities. Moreover, the solution is fairly easy to scale as it is powered by Google’s extensive global data and technology.

The tool is available with both iOS and Android versions of the Bird app and will be rolled out to all Bird riders over time to eliminate the possibilities of theft or vandalism.

Bird VPS will prompt the riders to quickly scan the surrounding area using their smartphone camera as they end their ride. The system will then compare the rider’s images to those in Google’s knowledge base of data and street view images to establish a centimeter-level geo-location for the bike. It will also prompt the rider to correct the vehicle’s parking before ending the ride if it does not comply with the local city parking requirements.

The system is currently in a pilot in New York City, San Francisco, and San Diego within the US. The company eventually plans to roll it out to its 400-plus partner cities.

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