Sign of the Times: Robot Parking Garage to Open in New York

Would you trust a robot to park your car? The question will confront New Yorkers in February as the city's first robotic parking opens in Chinatown. The technology has had a good track record overseas, but the only other public robotic garage in the United States has been troublesome, dropping vehicles and trapping cars because of technical glitches.

Nonetheless, the developers of the Chinatown garage are confident with the technology and are counting on it to squeeze 67 cars in an apartment-building basement that would otherwise fit only 24, accomplished by removing a ramp and maneuver space normally required.

A humanoid robot valet won't be stepping into your car to drive it.

Rather, the garage itself does the parking. The driver stops the car on a pallet and gets out. The pallet is then lowered into the innards of the garage, and transported to a vacant parking space by a computer-controlled contraption similar to an elevator that also runs sideways.


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BMWRocks - 1/30/2007 1:34:35 PM

-1 Boost

Reminds me of the movie iRobot (or something), with Will Smith.

Agent009 - 1/30/2007 1:51:56 PM

+1 Boost

Exactly!

thecar - 1/30/2007 1:57:27 PM

+5 Boost

I thought it will be dangling like in Tokyo Drift ..

Brembo - 1/30/2007 2:31:40 PM

+2 Boost

I saw that. like a ca closet.

vdiv - 1/30/2007 2:25:40 PM

+4 Boost

I hope they keep paying the software maker for updates, or it will be like the one in NJ that trapped people's cars for days.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/30/2007 4:33:55 PM

+2 Boost

Well, there's really no point to that... the garage would already be doing the parking.

Need4Speed - 1/30/2007 10:12:49 PM

+2 Boost

I'll add on to that Will. How 'bout this. You can actually get out your car...it will go look for one of these automated parking garages...your EZpass will make payment....the car will pull up to a slot and walla!...parked! When you need it...the car will request to be let go...it will go and find you and your on your way! Future is comming fast!

MunichRob - 1/30/2007 4:23:20 PM

+1 Boost

Pretty cool stuff...The future is now.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/30/2007 4:33:27 PM

+2 Boost

Nice X5.

EL34 - 1/30/2007 9:30:25 PM

+3 Boost

Not really, the reason for this contraption is because in downtown New York City it is near impossible to find a parking space.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/30/2007 7:46:33 PM

+1 Boost

I wouldn't say parking is enjoyable.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/30/2007 11:49:10 PM

+2 Boost

S4cabriofoxone1, aren't you a Lexus fan? Then why weren't you blaming "fat, lazy Americans" for the LS's self-park system?