Robot Valet

A leading manufacturer of video surveillance equipment recently launched a smart parking system, complete with a robot valet that can park a car in under two minutes. The system, which evolved from computerized warehouse logistics, could increase utilization of urban parking lots by up to 40 percent.

As drivers enter the smart car parks, monitors assist them in positioning their vehicles precisely on racks. The drivers exit the vehicles and collect parking vouchers using the car park touch screens or smartphone apps. At this point, the robots take over – first confirming that the cars are turned off and the parking brakes are on, then driving them automatically to the optimal locations as selected by the smart parking systems. When they return to collect their cars, the owners key in their voucher numbers and robots are dispatched to retrieve them.

The smart parking system costs about $30,000 and will initially be available in Beijing and Shanghai. The developers are confident that the increased utilization of prime parking real estate, along with lower operating costs and reduced risk of fender-benders will make it an attractive alternative for large city operators.