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The Dutch are often sources of cycling innovation — we have seen a bike hitch-hiking scheme developed for Amsterdam tourists. A new monitoring system wants to help cyclists find increasingly rare bicycle parking spaces in Utrecht.

Lumiguide use two simple cameras to monitor bike parks. The stereoscopic images feed into software that’s capable of recognizing whether or not a space is occupied by a bike. Real-time information is then sent to roadside or entrance monitors, letting cyclists know if there is free space available before they enter a bike park — it will also guide them towards free spots. The software has also been trained to monitor abandoned bikes, notifying staff when a bike has been in the same spot for too long. The data can then offer city officials the statistics for monitoring city-wide bike park use.

Lumiguide takes cues from large car parks that already have similar functions. What other hacks can bicycle transport networks take from existing motor vehicle conveniences?