AR-Enabled Parking Assistant for E-Scooter Riders Launches

Neuron Mobility has launched a new augmented reality (AR)-enabled parking assistant for e-scooter riders.

The new tool uses Google’s ARCore Visual Positioning System and is designed to work alongside typical GPS features to provide more accurate and holistic parking capabilities.

To use the AR assistant, riders scan their surroundings on their mobile phones. The system then identifies key landmarks or features and compares them against Google Street View data to pinpoint their location and direct them to a parking spot. 

The app is intended to tackle problems with e-scooters being left around the city, improving not only rider experience but also easing city congestion and providing safer and cleaner streets for pedestrians.

User testing of the system has been conducted globally by Neuron and the system is already available in Australian cities including Perth, Busselton, Melbourne and Brisbane. 

Company officials say the system has been well received by riders and they are seeing more than 95% parking compliance in cities where the technology has been introduced.

The announcement follows news of Neuron’s e-scooter rollout in Waterloo, Canada, in what it says will be Canada’s largest single-operator micro-mobility program. 

Safety features for the e-scooters are also continually being updated, including voice guidance, topple detection, a 911 emergency button, a Follow my Ride function and advanced geofencing technology to control parking, as well as how fast they can travel in certain areas.