New autonomous parking system testing at Stuttgart Airport
WITH the race still on to deliver a fully functional, safe and affordable autonomous drive system for general automotive application, Mercedes-Benz, in collaboration with component manufacturer Bosch, have developed a ‘driverless’ valet parking system for certain Mercedes-Benz models.
The development is considered a milestone on the way towards automated driving and has been approved by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
The highly automated system available soon for certain Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS variants equipped with Intelligent Park Pilot is initially centred on Stuttgart Airport in Germany and only in one area, the P6 parking garage run by Airport Parking Corporation of America (APCOA).
APCOA has been operating in parking management since 1971 and specialises in cashless payment for parking by phone app with a presence across Europe and the UK managing 1.3 million parking spaces, across 12 countries.
The Stuttgart Airport system is the world’s first highly automated and approved driverless parking function accredited to SAE Level 4 for commercial use.
M-B says the system will play a key role in the development of mobility of the future with the vehicle and infrastructure taking over driving and manoeuvring.
The venerable car-maker says this will allow drivers to turn their attention to other (more important) things instead of spending time looking for a parking space and positioning the vehicle in tight spaces.
The technology used for the system allows users to simply drive in to the parking garage, get out of the vehicle and send it to a pre-booked parking space just by tapping in a smartphone app.
Once the user has left the parking garage, the vehicle drives itself to its assigned space and parks. Later, the vehicle returns to the pick-up point in exactly the same way.
The process relies on infrastructure supplied by Bosch and installed in the parking garage and Mercedes-Benz automotive technology.
Bosch sensors in the parking garage monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings and provide the information needed to guide the vehicle.
The technology in the vehicle converts the information it receives from the infrastructure into driving manoeuvres.
Further, the system allows vehicles to drive themselves up and down ramps to move between storeys in the parking garage.
If the infrastructure sensors detect an obstacle, the vehicle brakes and safely comes to a complete stop. Only once the route is clear does it continue on its way.
Mercedes-Benz and Bosch in 2019 obtained a special permit to operate automated valet parking using development vehicles without human oversight in everyday operations in the parking garage of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The approval that has now been issued goes beyond this, allowing commercial operation with privately owned vehicles in Stuttgart Airport.
In July 2021 and May 2022, Germany legislated to allow driverless driving in accordance with SAE Level 4 for motor vehicles.
The companies plan to gradually roll out the driverless parking service.
“The world’s first approval for customer use of our highly automated and driverless parking function, developed together with our technology partner Bosch, shows that innovation leadership and ‘Made in Germany’ go hand in hand,” said Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, responsible for Development and Procurement, Markus Schäfer at a preview function for the new parking system.
“Following the market launch of our Drive Pilot Level 3 system, we will soon be offering a Level 4 system for parking with our Intelligent Park Pilot – all of that this year. We really are showing our customers how technology can make life easier and give back precious time,” Schäfer said.
From the Bosch side of the partnership, Chairman of the Mobility Solutions Business Sector, Dr Markus Heyn said: “Driverless parking is a key aspect of automated mobility. The highly automated parking system we developed together with our partner Mercedes-Benz shows just how far we’ve already progressed along this development path. It will be with driverless parking that everyday automated driving will start.”
“From the outset, Bosch has taken the approach of making the infrastructure in parking garages intelligent. Accordingly, we have set standards in this area. In the future, our aim is to equip more parking garages with the necessary infrastructure technology – we plan to do several hundred of them worldwide in the next few years.”
Chief Commercial Officer of APCOA Parking Group, Frank van der Sant said: “We are extremely pleased to have successfully developed a connected system for driverless and contactless parking together with our partners from Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, and Stuttgart Airport. Our digital platform, APCOA Flow, can be used to book spaces, for contactless access to the parking garage, and for automatic invoicing of the stay in the garage.”
“For our customers, this means a huge gain in convenience: planning certainty, hardly any wasted time, short distances to walk, and a contactless and cashless parking process.”
A Stuttgart Airport spokesman said : “Automated Valet Parking really enhances our passenger’s comfort and convenience and saves them time, especially when they’re in a hurry and just want to drop their car off quickly at the airport.”
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz and Bosch collaborate on driverless parking system