EU develops new driverless car parking system
© Julian♦H 1 August, 2014

EU develops new driverless car parking system

Researchers from Germany, Italy, the UK and Switzerland have developed a new driverless electric car parking system thanks to a €5.6m grant.

Following successful tests at Stuttgart Airport earlier this year, the V-CHARGE consortium have successfully developed a fully automated parking and charging system for electric cars at public car parks.

Dr Paul Furgale, scientific project manager for V-CHARGE and deputy director of the Autonomous Systems Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, said the technology could help better use a mix of public and private transport for journeys and hopes the technology can be modified to develop autonomous parking systems for electric cars on city streets.

“That will be more of a challenge, but once you have the maps in place, the rest of the technology will come together.”

Drivers will be able to leave their car in front of the car park and use a smartphone app to trigger the parking process. The vehicle will connect with the car park’s server and drive itself to the designated space. While in the garage, the car can also be programmed to go to a charging station. Upon returning, the driver uses the same app to summon the car – fully charged and ready to go.

European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes added: “We need to think ahead and find smarter ways to move to save time, money and our environment. We need research on new technologies – and how to combine them – to get practical solutions. The V-CHARGE system goes in the right direction, and I look forward to using it.”

Researchers are now fine-tuning the technology to tackle more precise manoeuvres and ensure reliability even in difficult weather conditions.  The project is set to conclude in 2015, and its results will be made available to be progressively commercialised in the coming years.