Parking a car on your own can be time-consuming, while relying on a human valet might leave you even more anxious as to what happens to the car in the hands of another person. Mercedes-Benz may have a solution: self-parking cars.
Fancy a luxury car that can park by itself?
The posh InterContinental Downtown Los Angeles Hotel served as the appropriate setting for the automaker’s live demonstration of its Intelligent Park Pilot technology, showcased through the EQS electric luxury sedan.
“The EQS gives you time back by driving itself in traffic jams on highways, but with Intelligent Park Pilot, it may also be able to park itself,” added Dr. Philipp Skogstad, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America.
But the car’s onboard gadgetry only formed part of the equation. The other half is taken up by Bosch intelligent infrastructure to provide automated valet parking services, without the need for human interaction.
The car will automatically start and proceed from the designated drop-off point
Bosch’s setup is the first such system in the world with full automation, certified for Level 4 autonomous driving by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
“The demonstration at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown showcases how automated valet parking will operate in a working hotel environment where both automated and non-automated vehicles operate alongside pedestrian traffic,” said Dr. Kay Stepper, senior vice president of automated driving and driving assistance for Bosch in North America.
Drivers will be able to retrieve the car remotely as well
When the driver arrives at the hotel and parks in a designated drop-off area after the passengers have disembarked, the system will commence the automated parking procedure. Sensors installed in the parking facility will check whether a suitable space is available or if one was reserved for the vehicle.
Upon confirmation, the Automated Valet Parking infrastructure initiates the handover of the car, notifying the driver through a smartphone app. Once the driver has left, the vehicle is automatically started and independently maneuvers towards the parking space, guided by the smart infrastructure. When the driver returns, the car can be remotely commanded to drive itself to a designated pick-up area, also through the app.
The Intelligent Park Assist on the Mercedes-Benz Connect smartphone app makes it possible
Both Mercedes-Benz and Bosch tout several benefits to using automated valet parking, from customers saving time otherwise spent looking for a parking space to increased parking capacity as vehicles no longer need room for opening their doors.
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