Automated Valet Parking
Don’t get stressed, get parked
Bosch and Daimler have reached a milestone on the way to automated driving: the two companies have obtained approval from the relevant authorities in Baden-Württemberg for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart. The automated valet parking service is accessed via a smartphone app and requires no driver. This makes it the world’s first fully automated driverless SAE Level 4 parking function to be officially approved for everyday use.
A museum presenting the future close-up
The Mercedes-Benz museum is the number one address for automotive history. Its parking lot is therefore exactly the right location to test automated valet parking, the world’s first infrastructure-supported solution that provides an automatic drive-up and park service. Bosch provides the intelligent technology required for the parking garage infrastructure. This technology supports mixed-mode traffic, i.e. both automated valet parking and manually steered vehicles. The vehicles equipped with the corresponding technology are from Mercedes-Benz. Together, these two partners have defined the interface between infrastructure and vehicle, and have adapted sensor technology and vehicle software accordingly.
Fast, safe, driverless
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Watchful Eye: Cameras Show the Way
Parking your car yourself is a thing of the past — automated valet parking has no need for a driver. Automated valet parking allows the vehicle to be left at the drop-off area of the parking garage without further ado, and all the driver needs to do is activate the smartphone app. This establishes digital contact with the parking garage, and the route to a free parking spot is computed. The parking spot that the system will aim for is selected to suit the vehicle’s size.
This is when the Bosch technology in the parking garage takes charge. It includes cameras that recognize suitable, vacant parking spots in the parking garage, that monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings, and that detect unexpected obstacles or persons in the car’s path so that the vehicle can react immediately. The technology in the car converts the commands from the infrastructure into driving maneuvers. At the destination, parking is completely automatic and problem-free, even if space is tight. The vehicle is returned exactly the same way: Collection is activated via the app, and the car arrives right on cue. Jump in and you’re on your way.
“Driverless driving and parking are important building blocks for tomorrow’s mobility. The automated parking system shows just how far we have already progressed along this development path.”
Dazzling prospects: More convenience with automated valet parking
More time:
Automated valet parking is a fetch-and-carry service. Parking time can be used for washing or repairing your car
More safety:
No more walking around poorly lit parking garages, no driving errors and therefore no more scratches
More efficiency:
No more time lost looking for a parking spot, up to 20% more space for vehicles in the same area
Project milestones
Bosch and Daimler started developing fully automated driverless parking in 2015, and in the summer of 2017, their pilot solution in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart reached an important milestone: automated valet parking in real conditions, with and without drivers at the wheel, was presented to the public for the first time. This premiere was followed by an intensive testing and start-up phase. Starting in 2018, museum visitors could use the parking service live, accompanied by trained safety personnel, and share their experience. Obtaining final approval from the authorities is a further major milestone for Bosch and Daimler: soon, interested parties will be able to experience the innovative valet parking service live in daily operation in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage without additional supervision from a safety driver.
What you should know about automated valet parking
Automated valet parking celebrated its world premiere in the parking garage of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the summer of 2017. Since summer 2018, the driverless parking service has been available for everyone to experience for themselves.
Because of the sensor technology used in the infrastructure, the vehicle equipment needed is largely limited to an automatic gearbox, ESP, electric parking brake and steering assistance, a start/stop function and a communication unit.
The system is based on the interaction between intelligent infrastructure and vehicle technology. The parking garage infrastructure needs to include the requisite sensor technology along with IT technology to calculate the travel distances and to ensure compliance with all safety requirements. A technical unit to communicate with the vehicle, as well as a cloud connection for backend interaction, is also necessary.
Summary
With Automated Valet Parking, Bosch and Daimler have developed a driverless system for parking garages which guides the car to a free space using intelligent parking garage infrastructure, parks the car and thereby saves the driver all the usual stress. The two companies have obtained approval from the relevant authorities in Baden-Württemberg for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart.
