How many hours of your life do you think you have spent finding parking spots? According to a study, we spend around 75 hours a year trying to find parking. The one thing I am enjoying during quarantine is not looking for an empty space for my vehicle. I am not sure how I will return to the world where there is a constant quest for parking spots but when I do, I want to enter the arena with Parkey – a conceptual shared-parking device which helps you find a spot in seconds! This Apple-esque controller can solve one of the biggest stressors of commuting. Looking for a free spot not only wastes time but also increases gas emissions in the atmosphere. Inevitably there is a rise in traffic which raises air pollution levels given that most of our cars still run on combustion engines. Parkey uses this opportunity to design a device that can ease the stress on our lives and the environment. Many spots are not used all round the clock and by sharing these spots, the owners can make extra income while helping the community. What makes this device unique is that is doesn’t require any physical tech to be installed in the garage door, instead it uses a configurable RF controller that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth to share the spot. The controller was designed to be minimal and portable. It has a slim build like one of your smart home appliance remotes and also features a keyring for convenience. The keyring also fits into the USB-C charging port for charging but will also be made compatible with wall chargers and wireless chargers. If you have the controller, then just post about your spot on the Parkey app and configure the gadget by activating your current RF controller. This enables the Parkey controller to recognize the frequency and securely link it to your ad on the app. You can book parking spots just like you would schedule Uber rides. Then on the day of the reservation, you would connect your Parkey controller to your phone via Bluetooth in order to match the RF frequency to open the door – simple! I now have hope for 2020. Designer: Nacho Castillo Moreno