The world’s first automated driverless parking function has been officially approved for commercial use.
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has given the green-light to the Mercedes-Benz and Bosch automated parking system in a parking garage at Stuttgart Airport.
Set to be available for certain S-Class and EQS variants, the technology is said to work by driving into the parking garage, getting out, and sending the vehicle to a parking space by tapping in a smartphone app.
Bosch says the automated valet parking service has no need for a driver. Once the driver has left the parking garage, the vehicle drives itself to its assigned space and parks. Later, the vehicle returns to the pick-up point in exactly the same way.
This process relies on the interplay between the intelligent infrastructure supplied by Bosch and installed in the parking garage, and Mercedes-Benz automotive technology.
Bosch sensors in the parking garage monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings and provide the information needed to guide the vehicle. The technology in the vehicle converts the information it receives from the infrastructure into driving manoeuvres. This way, vehicles can even drive themselves up and down ramps to move between stories in the parking garage, according to Bosch.
If the infrastructure sensors detect an obstacle, the vehicle brakes and safely comes to a complete stop. Only once the route is clear, does it continue on its way.
