Bosch, Mercedes-Benz and the parking operator Apcoa have launched this future project for fully automated driverless parking at Stuttgart Airport. The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the world’s first production vehicle to equip the technology required for the future infrastructure-based Automated Valet Parking (AVP). As extra equipment, customers can buy the pre-installation for what the German car company calls INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, which allows this model to be able to receive a command from the smartphone to drive to a previously reserved parking space.
The P6 car park at Stuttgart Airport will serve as a pilot for the Automated Valet Parking. The companies will test how the technology on board the S-Class interacts with the intelligent infrastructure of Bosch and APCOA FLOW, the digital platform provided by the parking operator Apcoa. This platform allows the entire parking process to be done without tickets and without cash. The aim of this test with new S-Class vehicles at Stuttgart Airport is to ensure that the interactions between car, infrastructure technology and parking operator run smoothly and are optimized for the customer.
World’s first level 4 car park in a production vehicle
In July 2019, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz received the world’s first special permission to operate the AVP in selected E-Class vehicles, without the need for a safety driver in the actual traffic of the Mercedes-Benz museum car park in Stuttgart. Equipped with the appropriate INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT pre-installation, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the first production vehicle to incorporate AVP technology, allowing you to park without a driver. However, this is conditional on the future availability of parking lots with the appropriate infrastructure, as well as on the legislators giving the green light to the AVP. This makes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class the first vehicle in the world to feature a pre-installation for an SAE Level 4 automated driving function, the second highest level of automation.
To facilitate this new function, a spacious area will be set up to drop off and pick up passengers, directly behind the entrance to the P6 car park, providing AVP users with a comfortable place to drop off their vehicles. As you comfortably make your way to the terminal and check in, your S-Class will park guided by information from the infrastructure technology. In other words, users no longer need to worry about maneuvering or having to get out of their cars when the encountered space turns out to be too narrow. For the testing phase that is about to begin, the P6 car park will initially have two spaces for vehicles equipped with automated parking. As driverless parking becomes standard equipment, as planned in the future, and as demand increases, more spaces will be added.
Smart infrastructure and digital platforms
The Stuttgart Airport pilot car park will be the premiere for new Bosch video cameras that can identify empty parking spaces, monitor the driving lane and its surroundings, and detect obstacles or people. Until now, lidar sensors had been used for this purpose. In the car park, a specific control center calculates the route that vehicles must take to reach a free space available. Thanks to the information provided by the cameras, it is also possible for cars to circulate alone in the parking lot, even on narrow ramps, allowing them to move between different floors. The technology on board the vehicle autonomously converts the information from the infrastructure into driving maneuvers. If, for example, the cameras detect an unexpected obstacle, the vehicle safely performs emergency braking.
APCOA FLOW, the digital platform of the parking operator Apcoa, will also play a key role in driverless parking at Stuttgart Airport. Drivers are already using the platform to help reduce the stress of parking. This ranges from firmly reserving a parking space, to contactless entry in the car park, as well as to payment, billing and contactless exit in a fully automated way. The system recognizes the vehicle and the barriers open automatically, making tickets or having to go to the vending machine unnecessary.
More vehicles, more parking
A vehicle collection and delivery service saves time and avoids long walks to the car. Once the car parks are equipped with the appropriate infrastructure and national laws allow the AVP, customers will be able to enjoy the parking services without a driver. Bosch and Mercedes-Benz are paving the way with the world’s first real infrastructure-based solution for Automated Valet Parking SAE Level 4. Uniform standards and interfaces ensure seamless communication between vehicles and infrastructure technology. In the future, Bosch’s goal is to equip more and more car parks with AVP infrastructure technology. As the largest car park operator in Europe, Apcoa also has a strategic interest in offering innovative premium services in its car parks.
By increasing the availability of fully automated and driverless parking services, the same amount of space could accommodate up to 20 percent more vehicles. In addition, driverless parking is particularly suitable for narrow, remote and therefore unattractive parking areas, which are normally avoided by people.
