Efficient Multistage License Plate Detection and Recognition Using YOLOv8 and CNN for Smart Parking Systems

Smart parking systems play a vital role in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of smart cities. However, most existing systems depend on sensors to monitor the occupancy of parking spaces, which entail high installation and maintenance costs and limited functionality in tracking vehicle movement within the car park. To address these challenges, we propose a multistage learning-based approach that leverages existing surveillance cameras within the car park and a self-collected dataset of Saudi license plates. The approach combines YOLOv5 for license plate detection, YOLOv8 for character detection, and a new convolutional neural network architecture for improved character recognition. We show that our approach outperforms the single-stage approach, achieving an overall accuracy of 96.1% versus 83.9% of the single-stage approach. The approach is also integrated into a web-based dashboard for real-time visualization and statistical analysis of car park occupancy and vehicle movement with an acceptable time efficiency. Our work demonstrates how existing technology can be leveraged to improve the efficiency and sustainability of smart cities.