Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3

Hounslow, Middlesex

Brief

The UK’s busiest multi-storey short stay car park required the latest technology to make it run more efficiently and effectively. The client opted for a similar system to those implemented by Highlight at Heathrow Terminals 2, 4 and 5.

Solution and installation

The Highlight Optical Bay Monitoring solution and Baywatch systems were installed in 1,300 spaces situated across five levels of Heathrow airport terminal 3 car park. Work was carried out in a live environment with just a small number of bays closed off at any one time for engineers to access. Nonetheless, these restrictions meant that speed was of the essence and through continuous R&D, the number of cameras for the Bay Monitoring system was reduced from a one camera/one bay solution to one camera covering three bays. Installation time was significantly reduced without compromising the level of monitoring.

A.I. registration technology was used to interact with two Baywatch touchscreen kiosks, that were fitted alongside the payment machines. This enabled customers to find and locate their vehicles, which included a customised map showing the layout of the car park and the route to the customer’s vehicle. VMS signs were also installed throughout to give drivers more information, whilst back-office software was updated to reflect the exact layout of the car park, enabling full monitoring and live information.  Highlight engineers maintain remote access so they can easily connect when support or upgrades are required.

Outcome

Despite the challenges of working within a live environment, the systems were successfully implemented on time, and supported by the latest camera technology, the Terminal 3 car park was operating as efficiently for customers as those at the other terminals.