What if, in the near future, cars could search for available parking spaces on their own and return to pick up the driver using a smartphone app? This is the goal that Bosch, Daimler, and car2go have committed to, signing a joint pilot project on June 8, 2015.The parking process, as we know it today, will undergo a true revolution: No longer will the driver have to search for an open space, maneuver the car into a parking spot, and then retrieve it. Instead, the vehicle will drive itself, independently, until it finds an available space and then return to the driver. Automated parking will be possible thanks to intelligent infrastructure within the parking facility itself, an electronic vehicle control unit from Bosch, the new generation of onboard sensors from Mercedes-Benz, and the experience gained from the car-sharing service offered by car2go. This will allow, in the near future, for automated maneuvering in properly equipped garages and parking lots.
“Our customers are always our focus, and all our actions are geared towards them. In the future, the car will even come to them,” explains Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for the Research and Development Group at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “In collaboration with our partner Bosch and our mobility service car2go, we are developing and testing a solution based on the infrastructure of a fully automated valet parking service. For us, this represents another step on our path towards autonomous driving; or, as in this case, towards autonomous parking!”
"Fully automated parking will be ready for series production before fully automated driving," says Dirk Hoheisel, member of the Board of Management of Bosch. "Low driving speeds and information from the parking infrastructure will enable rapid implementation.".
The scenario is simple at first glance: a vehicle is reserved via car2go using a smartphone. As soon as the user is ready at the parking lot's pick-up area, the car drives there automatically, and the trip can begin without delay. Returning the car is just as convenient. The customer gets out of the car at the designated parking area and returns it using their smartphone. The parking lot's smart system registers the vehicle, the process begins, and the car is directed back to its assigned space.
Bosch is developing the necessary parking infrastructure, including parking space occupancy sensors, cameras, and the required communication technology. Bosch is also responsible for the vehicle's communication unit, which controls the parking process and, together with Daimler, defines the interface with existing vehicle components. Daimler, for its part, will handle the sensor systems and software installed in car2go vehicles and will facilitate the implementation of future innovations in car2go's car-sharing model.
