Daimler and Bosch trial autonomous parking

TINNews

Daimler and Bosch have partnered to test automated valet parking in the multi-storey car park at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

This automated feature enables cars to proceed without a driver to their assigned parking space following a command issued by smartphone, without any supervision required from the driver.

The automated valet parking feature is a milestone in autonomous driving. From next year, visitors to the museum's multi-storey car park will be able to experience the service.

Mercedes-Benz cars development head of automated driving and active safety Dr Michael Hafner said: "We are approaching autonomous driving faster than many people suspect. The driverless parking solution at the Mercedes-Benz Museum demonstrates in impressive fashion just how far the technology has come.

Bosch chassis systems control unit director Gerhard Steiger said: “Parking will be an automated process in the future. By applying an intelligent multi-storey car park infrastructure and networking it with vehicles, we have managed to realise driverless parking substantially earlier than planned.”

It is possible to reverse a car using a smartphone app. When the vehicle is registered with the intelligent system installed at the multi-storey car park, it can be autonomously guided to an assigned parking space.

Autonomous parking has become a possibility due to an intelligent multi-storey car park infrastructure from Bosch as well as the vehicle technology from Mercedes-Benz.

The car park area is installed with sensors to monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings to help guide the vehicle. The technology in the car performs the driving manoeuvres following commands it receives from a local network.

Sensors for the multi-storey car park infrastructure and the communications technology have been provided by Bosch. Daimler has provided the private museum car park and pilot vehicles for testing.

"The driverless parking solution at the Mercedes-Benz Museum demonstrates just how far the technology has come."

The demonstration is to be followed by a trial and commissioning phase.

The project has been overseen by authorities of Stuttgart regional council and the federal state transport ministry and by appraisers from the TÜV Rheinland technical inspection authority.

Final approval will be required from the licensing authority before the autonomous customer service comes into operation at the beginning of next year.

Bosch and Mercedes-Benz plan to use this project to gain experience regarding users' handling of automated valet parking.