Mercedes-Benz and Bosch develop automated and driverless parking

Bosch, Mercedes-Benz and parking operator Apcoa want to introduce highly automated, driverless parking at Stuttgart Airport, Germany. 

The companies are looking to implement an automated valet parking (AVP) system, jointly developed by Bosch and Mercedes-Benz, and should be ready for commercial operation.

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is now ready to be introduced as the world's first production vehicle to feature the technology required for the future infrastructure-based AVP . 

As an option, customers will be able to purchase the appropriate pre-installation for what the company calls Smart Park Pilot , and what the S-Class model will do is that it will be able to receive an alert from a smartphone to drive to a reserved parking lot.

Michael Hafner, director of automated driving at Mercedes-Benz AG, stated that the P6 parking lot at Stuttgart Airport will serve as a pilot for the commercial automated parking service. 

“Here, the companies will test how the vehicle technology interacts with the intelligent infrastructure of Bosch  and APCOA FLOW ; as well as the digital platform provided by the parking operator that makes the entire parking process ticketless and cashless, ”he stated.

For this reason, preparations are under way in the airport parking lot to start piloting the planned automated valet service . The objective of this test is to ensure that the interactions between the vehicle, infrastructure technology and the parking operator run smoothly and are optimized for the customer.

In July 2019, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz received the world's first special permit to operate the AVP for selected E-Class vehicles without a safety driver in parking traffic, which is equipped with the appropriate pre-installation for the Driver of Smart Park , the new Mercedes-Benz is now the first production vehicle to feature AVP technology, allowing it to park without a driver. 

To facilitate this new one-touch feature, a spacious passenger drop-off and pick-up area will be established directly behind the entrance to the P6 parking lot, providing AVP users with a convenient place to drop off their vehicles. 

The pilot parking lot will be a premiere for new Bosch video cameras that can identify empty parking spaces, monitor the driving aisle and its surroundings, and detect obstacles or people in the aisle. Until now, sensors have been used for this purpose. 

With a dedicated control center in the parking lot it calculates the route that vehicles must take to reach an available space. 

With the information provided by the cameras, it is possible for cars to travel alone in the parking lot, even on narrow ramps, allowing them to move between different floors. 

APCOA FLOW , the digital parking operator platform, will play a key role in driverless parking at Stuttgart Airport and drivers are already using the platform to help lighten the parking load.