World's‌ ‌First‌ ‌Automated‌ ‌Valet‌ ‌Parking‌ ‌Opens‌ ‌in‌ ‌Germany‌

This service is operating at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. It’s a joint project of the German groups Daimler and Bosch. Cars can park themselves without any human intervention: all the driver has to do is to activate the process via the corresponding smartphone app. Drivers can retrieve their vehicles in the same way.

This technology is compatible with the latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 models which are equipped to be controlled remotely. The parking garage has a huge number of sensors that monitor the environment and transmit the data to the receiving unit installed in the car. So, if an obstacle is detected, the car will immediately stop. According to experts, an automated parking garage can accommodate 20% more cars than a conventional one, as the system arranges them very close to one another without the risk of a collision.

This technology has much in common with that used in driverless vehicles. In recent years, these solutions have been developed and improved by many automakers including Daimler, BMW, General Motors, Volvo, and others. They all have the same aim: to make the driving process completely autonomous. Robotic parking is a great way to implement this safely. Firstly, an unlimited number of sensors and cameras can be installed in the garage, and can be adapted to the parking conditions to the maximum extent practicable. Secondly, the absence of vibration and harsh environmental factors means the readings of the instruments will be more accurate.