The automated parking system works on the interaction between Mercedes-Benz automotive technology and the intelligent infrastructure delivered by Bosch and installed in the parking garage

22c0414_002_img_h900

Bosch and Mercedes-Benz receive approval to commercially use their automated parking system at Stuttgart Airport. (Credit: Robert Bosch GmbH)

Robert Bosch and Mercedes-Benz have announced the receipt of approval from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to use their automated parking system in the P6 parking garage run by APCOA at the Stuttgart Airport.

The automated parking system works on the interaction between Mercedes-Benz automotive technology and the intelligent infrastructure delivered by Bosch and installed in the parking garage.

The Bosch sensors in the parking garage examine the driving corridor and its surroundings to give the information required to steer the vehicle.

The technology in the vehicle converts the data it gets from the infrastructure into driving manoeuvres.

Mercedes-Benz Group management board member and chief technology officer Markus Schäfer said: “The world’s first approval for customer use of our highly automated and driverless parking function, developed together with our technology partner Bosch, shows that innovation leadership and ‘Made in Germany’ go hand in hand.

“Following the market launch of our DRIVE PILOT Level 3 system, we will soon be offering a Level 4 system for parking with our INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT – all of that this year.”

With the automated parking system, drivers are allowed to book a parking space in advance through the Mercedes me app and leave the vehicle in a drop-off area that is predetermined.

Once all the passengers get down from the vehicle, the app is designed to begin the parking manoeuvre.

The vehicle can be retrieved from the parking garage to a pickup area in the same manner via a smartphone command.

In 2019, both companies received approval to operate the automated valet parking system at the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s parking garage.

The driverless parking service is expected to be rolled out gradually in the APCOA P6 parking garage at Stuttgart Airport. Certain S-Class and EQS variants, which are equipped with the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT2 service can soon avail the service.

Bosch mobility solutions business sector chairman and management board member Markus Heyn said: “The highly automated parking system we developed together with our partner Mercedes-Benz shows just how far we’ve already progressed along this development path. It will be with driverless parking that everyday automated driving will start.

“From the outset, Bosch has taken the approach of making the infrastructure in parking garages intelligent. Accordingly, we have set standards in this area. In the future, our aim is to equip more and more parking garages with the necessary infrastructure technology – we plan to do several hundred of them worldwide in the next few years.”