Mercedes-Benz, Bosch demonstrate automated valet parking technology

MANILA: Mercedes-Benz and technology partner, Bosch featured advanced technology in automated parking featuring the all-electric EQS sedan from Mercedes-EQ.

At the core of the demonstration is automated valet parking tested in the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel in Los Angeles, an 889-room property situated in Wilshire Grand Center, the tallest building west of Chicago.

“The demonstration at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown showcases how automated valet parking will operate in a working hotel environment where both automated and non-automated vehicles operate alongside pedestrian traffic. This allows us to dive into the dynamics of local deployments with the use of a highly-connected EQS from Mercedes-EQ to demonstrate how automated technology continues to move forward,” Bosch North America Senior Vice President for Automated Driving and Driving Assistance Dr. Kay Stepper stated.

“Our vision is that getting time back is a key component of the luxury experience our customers are looking for. The EQS gives you time back by driving itself in traffic jams on highways, but with Intelligent Park Pilot, it may also be able to park itself,” Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America President and CEO Dr. Philipp Skogstad said. “Intelligent Park Pilot is a feature that together with the required infrastructure enables an automated valet service that gives customers even more comfort and relief in everyday life.”

The EQS is used in the demonstration, showing automated valet parking using hardware that is already preinstalled in vehicles with required optional equipment. To allow the vehicle to drive and park itself inside the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, it connects with the Bosch intelligent infrastructure in the parking garage.

Sensors on the building connect with the vehicle, guiding it through the garage. The demonstration also shows the potential for additional services like automated EV charging, car wash, and vehicle servicing or maintenance, where vehicles go in and out of service areas led by intelligent infrastructure.

The demonstration also showed how to use the smartphone app as part of the holistic vehicle experience. The goal is to help the driver park the vehicle safely at a specified drop-off area in the parking facility, and then allow them to begin the parking procedure using the smartphone app when all passengers have exited. The car park's sensor system determines whether a suitable parking space is available or has already been reserved for the vehicle. If this is the case, the Automated Valet Parking infrastructure acknowledges the vehicle's handover to the driver on the app, allowing them to exit the EQS. The vehicle is then started automatically and navigates to its parking space without the need for a driver, thanks to the installed infrastructure in the parking facility. When the driver returns, the EQS can be directed to drive to a predetermined pick-up area through smartphone command. This means the driver will spend less time looking for parking spaces and walking from the garage to their destination.

Automated parking technology highlights the benefits of automation to drivers by reducing the hassle of their parking experience.

“Low-speed maneuvers are part of the holistic opportunity for automated technology. Automated technology in the specific use case automated valet parking gets consumers comfortable with how automated technology works and how it can benefit them,” Dr. Stepper stated.

Over the past few years, Bosch engineering teams have been striving to improve automated valet parking and support specific testing and deployments around the world.

Automated valet parking has advantages on both sides of the parking experience. Drivers will no longer need to look for a parking space and will be able to save time once they get to their location. Because all people have exited the vehicle, parking garage operators can increase parking capacity by eliminating the need for vehicles to have room to open doors on all sides. Operators can also provide services such as charging, washing, and maintenance.

Photos from Mercedes-Benz

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