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How Automated Parking Systems Work

Back in 2021, the number of vehicles sold worldwide was once again huge, despite the problems caused by the global pandemic and the chip shortages. Numbers say a total of just under 67 million new vehicles were sold, a sizeable increase from 64 million or so from the year before. As things relaxed in 2022, numbers are likely to grow once more. 
Automated parking system 10 photos
Photo: AJ Automated Parking Systems
Automated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantagesAutomated parking systems come with several important advantages
Naturally, one big question arises: where will we park them all? Think about it: the streets aren't getting larger, cities grow much slower in size than the sales rate of new vehicles, and yet more and more cars keep flooding the roads.

Congestion is a battle many cities in this world fight on a daily basis. It's not uncommon for many of us to take a one or two hours margin when leaving for or from work. When finally reaching home, tens of minutes are lost in search of a parking space.

All of this is caused by only one thing: there's only so much space we can grow sideways, so the solution to all the parking problems, and more, isn't all different than the one envisioned by architects for accommodating the growing population: since we can't go horizontal, let's go vertical. And as far as parking is concerned, a magical solution already exists: automated systems.

By that, we do not mean the technologies currently being developed by carmakers to allow cars to park themselves in any available space. No, we're talking about those automated buildings that take your car and move it up or down to God knows what available spot located inside specialized buildings.

Automated parking systems come with several important advantages
Photo: AJ Automated Parking Systems
These things are also known as automated parking garages, multi-tiered parking systems, robotic parking or simply buildings for cars. And it's a solution just as simple as it sounds: take cars and instead of placing them one next to the other, stack them one on top of each other, on several levels. So, instead of a single vehicle occupying a single parking spot on the ground, as many as 20 (or more, perhaps) can be placed over the same footprint on the ground.

Of course, a lot of space is still required for the buildings of these parking systems, but they're a lot more versatile than multi-level lots. They can be erected on any available empty lot, even in between buildings, as already is the case in some cities. These buildings come in several sizes, so a city can choose which type of garage fits its needs best.

So, how do these things work? First, we have the building itself, generally made of a metal skeleton which can be covered on the outside with pretty much anything its builder desires, including images to make it blend more easily in the city's landscape. Then, we have the computers, sensors, cameras and mechanical components needed to automatically guide a car to its allotted space.

Depending on the manner in which cars are being transported from entry to the parking spot, there are two types of automated parking systems: horizontal platforms and vertical lifts. No matter which one your city goes for, though, the process is very similar. The only thing setting the two apart is what kind of movement the car goes through to get to its space, to the side or up and down.

Automated parking systems come with several important advantages
Photo: AJ Automated Parking Systems
Regardless of parking type, cars get there in the usual fashion, by being driven down a road. It then needs to be positioned onto a ramp. Once there, the driver has to shut everything down, secure the car, and step out, as their presence inside the vehicle is no longer required. While all this is taking place, sensors analyze the vehicle to determine its size and overall shape.

An input from the driver on a keypad or some touchscreen is required, as the computer needs to know who is leaving the car there so it can deliver it back when needed. Automated parking systems usually rely on a card, a key, or some sort of app containing a code that identifies the position of your vehicle when trying to retrieve it. Once the code is accepted, the artificial brain finds the ride and sets in motion its mechanical arms to bring it back.

Once that is out of the way, various electro-mechanical components spring into life and the car is moved into the respective empty spot, either vertically or horizontally.

Generally speaking, moving a car from entry point to parking space can take as little as two and a half minutes, so it's at times a lot faster than trying to find a spot on the ground. Since most such buildings are equipped with turntables or at least two exits, there's little need for the driver to back out of the building when leaving.

Automated parking systems come with several important advantages
Photo: AJ Automated Parking Systems
The advantages of such systems are more than obvious. Automated parking is, if you like, the next generation multi-storied parking, places where space is gained, including from the fact that the cars are stacked together much closer, compared to usual parking lots, because they don't require clearance for the doors to open. And, if we stretch things a bit, they can help cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption levels because they don't require the engine to be running while the car is moved about through the building. And they can be built both above or underground, depending on the available space in a given city.

There are, of course, disadvantages as well. The most dangerous are the so-called acts of God. For instance, an earthquake can damage or even bring down such a parking solution, damaging all the cars in it as well. Also, because we're dealing with a mechanical gizmo, an automated parking system may from time to time fail and scratch or damage the body of the car. And they need constant maintenance too.

Regardless of how we look at them, automated systems are the future in parking, even if cities seem quite slow in adopting them. After all, the U.S. started installing such things about 20 years ago, while in Europe, such systems appeared in cities in 2007, and they still seem to have solved nothing.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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