In an upscale apartment complex in LA’s Sherman Oaks neighborhood, a group named AutoParkiT has built the west coast’s first fully automated parking garage. Developed in conjunction with Dasher Lawless, Omron Automotion and Safety, Design Systems Inc, SEW Eurodrive and ConXtech, the new parking garage is a fully automated, scalable, building sized machine.
But why undertake such a project?
Parking garages are a huge waste of resources. The time lost looking for a parking spot is vital, not to mention the price of gas. On top of that, you need lighting and a security team to make sure nobody breaks in and steals things.
In the AutoParkiT system, all of this waste is replaced with efficient automation. As a driver approaches the lot, an automatic door opens and reveals a lift and shuttle mechanism, where the car is to be parked. Once on the lift, the driver exits the vehicle and uses a key fob at a nearby valet station to initialize the parking system. From there, the AutoParkiT system does the heavy lifting, shuffling the car around the densely packed machine.
To retrieve his car a driver, who hopefully hasn’t lost the key fob in the meantime, uses the key fob to tell the system he is ready to leave. In a little over a minute the driver’s car is placed before them, nose first, ready to move on out.
Watch an Animation of How the AutoParkiT System Works:
Images and Video Courtesy of AutoParkiT