In partnership with Bosch, Daimler has held a demonstration of automated valet parking in Beijing. It had tested the technology before in the parking garage of the Mercedes-Benz museum, but is now testing it in China.
Automated valet parking allows people to drive their car to a designated area, from where the car will move to an assigned parking space on its own. It can then be retrieved using a smartphone app.
After being registered by the intelligent system infrastructure installed in the car lot, the vehicle is guided to an assigned parking space. Sensors installed in the car lot monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings while steering the vehicle. The vehicle’s onboard technology safely maneuvers it in response to commands from the intelligent car lot infrastructure.
The demonstration in Beijing used two vehicles simultaneously, showing how the carswould deal with real-world traffic.
Future possibilities for this technology include automated EV charging infrastructure, having the car washed in the owner’s absence, and the delivery of packages to the car’s trunk. Daimler estimates that with automated valet parking, car lots could accommodate up to 20% more vehicles, as no space has to be left for opening doors.
Prof. Dr Hans Georg Engel, head of Mercedes-Benz R&D China, said, “Automated valet parking is an important milestone on the road toward autonomous driving. Through our strong partnership with Bosch, we will adapt this technology to meet local needs. In the process, we will not only convenience vehicle owners, saving them time and energy, but also do our part to help bring automated driving technology to the next level.”
Ming Chen, president of Bosch connected mobility solutions in China, commented, “Automated valet parking is another new endeavor for Bosch and Daimler to strive for accident-free, stress-free and emission-free future mobility. It makes manually parking a thing of the past and helps vehicle owners to save time and ease stress. This pilot also demonstrates Bosch’s transformation into a mobility service provider in close collaboration with our long-term strategic partner Daimler in the Chinese market.”
By Illya Verpraet