This would be really convenient, but there are too many assumptions made for it to work. How does it deal with parking lots where you have to take a ticket to enter? What about paying as the car leaves the lot? How would it identify a reserved spot? Etc., etc.
Obviously, if the lot itself were set up to accommodate this, it would likely work just fine. But, again, that's a huge assumption.
I don't see the problem with parking; the car can simply pull up to the front of the lot and require you take manual action for the final bit. That stuff is unimportant. The important part is the actual autonomous driving. Google, for their part, seems to have proven that that is feasible (their approach combines Google Maps with various sensors such as a rapidly spinning 64-beam LIDAR). Of course, Google's cars take $150k in extra equipment to pull this off, so this is really far away from consumer level stuff.
Google's cars have logged half a million kilometers of accident-free autonomous driving in real-world conditions (as in, driving around real cities, not on test tracks). They're licensed to do so (let the car drive itself), although currently they have to have a driver in the driver seat to take over if anything goes wrong.
Ironically, the only accident involving a Google driverless car happened when the car was under full manual (human) control.
I don't see the problem with parking; the car can simply pull up to the front of the lot and require you take manual action for the final bit. That stuff is unimportant.
I wouldn't say it's unimportant, but it's not insurmountable. The point of the video was that you get out at the place you want to be and then the car takes off and parks itself. If manual intervention is required, then essentially, you get out after getting into the lot, and then meet the car again just before it exits the lot. That's still cool, but not exactly the point.
for "parking" purposes, an automated parking garage is far more efficient than a self parking car, if your goal is to pack the most amount of cars in the smallest possible space...while an automated parking system isn't cheap, it does allow you to maximize vehicular density in a parking structure, which is often important in densely populated cities where land/building size is at a premium...they are also less expensive to run (operational costs) and quite a bit safer as well.
Totally. And if the garages are integrated with a standardized system on a car like this, it would work great. I'm only commenting on the current situation as making a feature like the one on that Audi impractical, not a scenario down the road.
for an automated parking garage, you wouldn't need an autopark car...the person has to get out anyway, so they get out on the space which is the "launch pad" for the garage...they then pick the car up the same way.
autonomously driven cars are nothing new (as mentioned, google has a number of them with a lot of mileage on them)...this Audi example appears to be for parking (i had to watch a video elsewhere as i couldn't access the provided link at work), so perhaps i am not looking at the same video...in the video i saw, a woman parks her car, gets out and "goes to work in the office", while the car drives away on its own to park itself in a standard parking lot...that's a lot of technology and money in a system with limited real world benefits...it's really just a system for people too lazy to park their car.
for "parking" purposes, an automated parking garage is far more efficient than a self parking car, if your goal is to pack the most amount of cars in the smallest possible space...while an automated parking system isn't cheap, it does allow you to maximize vehicular density in a parking structure, which is often important in densely populated cities where land/building size is at a premium...they are also less expensive to run (operational costs) and quite a bit safer as well.
(youtube clip)
Automated parking garages are fine so long as you don't mind them taking your car hostage due to software glitches or contractual disputes, or dropping cars off elevators, sometimes with people inside.
Automated parking garages are fine so long as you don't mind them taking your car hostage due to software glitches or contractual disputes, or dropping cars off elevators, sometimes with people inside.
the systems are generally quite reliable (very little problems ever, really)...there is much redundancy in them...as well, people are never in their cars...they park them on the launch pad, then leave...the system handles the cars on their own...i have never heard of one dropping a car, but i suppose it is possible...you are much likelier to have your car damaged by someone hitting it while trying to park beside you, or from vandalism...none of that is possible in these automated parking garages...they are MUCH safer than a "regular parking garage", not only for the cars, but for the patrons as well.
The automated parking garage in Hoboken (one of the ones prone to taking cars hostage) has dropped cars on multiple occasions, both before and after a major refit. In at least one instance, the driver was still in the car, implying that the elevator attempted to move the car before the driver (and his dog) could exit the vehicle. The driver had to be rescued as the elevator prevented the car doors from opening. In another case, the automated system's lasers were unable to find the car on the pallet, and assumed the elevator was empty, causing the glitch that damaged the car. Workers at the garage at the time reported that this was not unusual, as they had had "tons of glitches" that had ripped doors and windows off, and dropped cars off elevators. The garage in Santa Monica, for its part, was prone to frequent glitches that refused to give people back their cars.
Despite your claims of reliability, these types of garages have a reputation for being unreliable on an ongoing basis.
like everything in life, there are good systems, and not so good systems...your examples are the "not so good" ones...i am not familiar with that brand (Robotic Parking Systems Inc), but perhaps some of the problems are due to early design (1st or 2nd Gen product?)...assuming quality software, design and construction though, they are very reliable and offer 99.99% uptime on a 24/7/365 schedule.