Audi’s Piloted Parking wins award

Audi wins Business Review Innovation in Automotive Technology award for piloted parking technology.

Audi’s Piloted Parking technology makes it possible for the car to drop the driver off, park by itself in parking garages and exit from there. The car is then able to return and pick up the driver when instructed.

The driver activates this technology by using a Smartphone app. After activation, the central computer in the parking garage receives a message, and uses WLAN to guide the vehicle to the nearest available parking space.

During the parking process, laser sensors in the garage record the car’s movements while the computer processes them to produce the precise location of the vehicle. The system uses the map of the parking garage to plan the route of the vehicle to a parking space. It ensures that the vehicle has an unobstructed path from the starting point to its destination. The car monitors its surroundings with 12 ultrasonic sensors but Audi plan to improve this with the use of four video cameras.

Audi is working on a host of piloted driving technologies. They will assist the driver in traffic jams and when maneuvering into parking spots and small garages.

The parking technology is already functional in some vehicles. Audi says it is working to refine the technology and lower its costs. It is expected to be available in the market by 2020.