Having Trouble Parking Your Car? Yeefung's Laser-Guided AGVs Will Do It for You

Folks, the name Yeefung may not mean much to most of us, but by the time we're done here, you'll understand why I chose to bring this company and the work they achieve to light. What's the big deal here? Yeefung - part of Shenzen Yifeng Automation Technology Co. - is responsible for laser-guided and self-parking platforms designed to reduce the stress of squeezing into absolutely any parking spot.

They achieve this by creating omnidirectional AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), so you can even park your car by sliding it in sideways. Pretty wild stuff if you ask me, and the beauty of living in the day and age that we do. It's time to dive deeper and see how these mechanical marvels can change the way some cities develop. Did I mention that they've been visibly active in this industry for three years?

Now, according to Yeefung's website, four different systems are available for interested companies and buyers. There's the more basic GETA Type C and Type P, the two platforms that put this crew on the parking map, and the most recent additions, the Ark and Parent-Child AGV. The Parent-Child version is a lift system that can park your car on elevated surfaces.

To give us an idea of how everything works, I've also added a couple of videos at the bottom of the article, but there's plenty we can't see. For example, I mentioned that these systems are laser-guided, and that's true.

Each one includes a laser scanner that repeats six rotations per second, always gauging how far your vehicle has moved and in which direction. With the help of chips and other software, these AGVs perform within 5 mm (0.2 in) of the desired destination. Think about that for a second: 5 mm!

However, the laser system and all its circuits are just part of the story. Part two is actually getting these things moving. To do so, the AGVs rely on powered wheels that can fly around a warehouse or neighborhood at speeds upwards of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) per second.

But the real trick here is the fact that they can perform movements in just about any direction possible, on a plane, of course. The AGVs can move forward, backward, to the side, and even "rotating curve walking." Some of these babies can even spin in place.

Yet, these motors need power, and lots of it, so Yeefung builds each AGV with the ability to function on its batteries for up to eight hours. If you're wondering what's hidden in those central consoles seen on each AGV, batteries are one of them.

Now, what about safety systems? After all, there's got to be a way to ensure these puppies don't smash into each other or even run into people nearby. Luckily, there is, and it's all down to the work of lasers once again. As your car is being parked, an automatic braking system kicks in and ensures the AGVs don't run into anything, a feature that kicks in within 200 mm (7.8 in) of anything around the platform.

If we put all this together, add some rollers that ultimately slide under your car, and load it up, then we've got ourselves a Yeefung AGV. Be sure to check out the videos below to see the Ark in action.

What I loved about this system most was the following: You park your car, send an order for a platform right from an app on your phone, and before long, there it is, sliding itself under your car, parked and all. The platform clearly handles the loading itself, and this stage is completed by securing the rear tires to the system. Then, off your car goes to a nearby parking lot, elevated or not. Pretty neat if you ask me.

However, there are limitations to these AGVs, and one clear problem is their inability to handle uneven surfaces. As a limit, only less than 6 mm (0.23 in) is the maximum surface height difference that can be handled by some of the AGVs, and others less.

The question now is, why aren't we seeing more and more of these babies around town? Well, problem one is that our streets are rarely level, nowhere near a difference of 6 mm. Secondly, there's the matter of parking infrastructure; we're going to need an infrastructure for this sort of automated machine. Some nations already have such parking infrastructures, while others are still thinking about adopting them.

As for how much we can expect to pay for something like this, we're not entirely sure; the manufacturer's website makes no mention of this. However, AGVs can be found priced all over the board, and depending on the load and/or vehicle, you can find one as low as $5,500. Those designed to handle larger loads, such as cars, can fetch as high as $100K or more, so there's plenty of wiggle room for Yeefung to place their product into as many hands as possible.