In an underground parking garage, a pair of parking robots, thin and flat like a clipboard, smoothly slide under a double-parked GV80 vehicle and lift it effortlessly. These parking robots, only 110 mm thick, can rotate 360 degrees and maneuver vehicles to find available spaces. While spectators are captivated by the robots' impressive capabilities, another pair of robots skillfully retrieves a requested vehicle and transports it to the exit zone. The entire process of removing the double-parked car and retrieving the final requested vehicle took just 2 minutes and 30 seconds. With these parking robots, there's no need to search for a parking spot or push aside double-parked cars in the sweltering heat; simply call the vehicle from inside and drive away from the perfectly positioned car at the parking entrance.
This demonstration of parking robots took place on August 19 during Hyundai Wia's 'Parking Solution Client Invitation Event' at the Hyundai Motor Group Uiwang Research Center in Gyeonggi Province. The event aimed to showcase Hyundai Wia's parking robot technology and introduce architectural design and permitting strategies necessary for implementing parking robots in residential areas. Approximately 800 clients, including construction companies, builders, and housing redevelopment associations interested in adopting parking robots, attended the event.
The parking robots developed by Hyundai Wia operate in pairs. Using LiDAR sensors, the robots identify the position and size of a vehicle's wheels before entering beneath the vehicle and lifting the wheels with attachments on both ends. These robots can transport vehicles to empty parking spaces or to the entry and exit zones. They are capable of lifting vehicles weighing up to 3.4 tons, accommodating heavy electric cars and large SUVs, while also being designed to handle low-slung luxury sports cars due to their slim profile.
The demonstration included various scenarios such as vehicle entry and exit, perpendicular and parallel parking, vehicle repositioning, and responding to unexpected situations. The robots adeptly managed complex scenarios, including retrieving vehicles from double- and triple-parked arrangements and adjusting to sudden obstacles, showcasing their ability to prioritize tasks effectively. Starting next month, these parking robots will be implemented in a trial at 'Hills State The Wave City' in Siheung, where Hyundai Wia plans to validate the operational stability, parking efficiency, and user convenience of the robots in actual residential settings.
Baek Ik-jin, Executive Director of Hyundai Wia's Mobility Solution Division, stated, "Based on our experience operating parking robots in various environments, including the headquarters of Hyundai Motor Group and the Factory Seoul office building, as well as in Singapore's innovation center and our Alabama plant in the U.S., we have addressed our clients' pain points. This has allowed us to lower the height of the robots and increase their total carrying weight, enabling them to accommodate nearly all vehicles sold in Korea, from electric cars to supercars."
The economic benefits are significant. Implementing parking robots reduces the space needed for opening and closing vehicle doors, allowing for double and triple parking, which can accommodate 20% to 50% more vehicles than traditional self-parking garages. The space utilization can increase by up to 1.5 times compared to existing areas, enhancing the utility value of buildings. Additionally, for residential complexes of a certain size, there is less need for additional infrastructure like control systems, reducing user fees.
Baek emphasized, "Parking issues are already severe in urban apartments, department stores, shopping malls, and mixed-use buildings. Parking robots can park more precisely than humans and can expand the utilization of existing spaces by up to 50%, proving their value. We will continue to enhance the utility of the robots by creating additional value, including electric vehicle charging, car washing, and early detection of electric vehicle battery fires."
Hyundai Wia aims to increase its revenue from the robotics (mobility solutions) sector to 400 billion won by 2028 and plans to expand the external revenue share of its robotics division to 50% by 2030. Alongside the introduction of parking robots, the company has developed a 'Smart Parking Control System' capable of managing over 50 parking robots simultaneously, now in its second version. This system assists parking robots in navigating optimal routes and efficiently dispatching multiple vehicles. A system capable of controlling over 100 sets of parking robots is also under development, which could manage approximately 4,000 parking spaces based on a single floor.
A company representative noted, "After evaluating the business viability of deploying two sets of parking robots in a parking tower in the Gangnam Teheran-ro area, we found that the investment could be recouped in two years. The business model has been validated, and now the key is how much high added value we can provide to our clients by attaching various services to the parking robots. With the institutional foundation for installing parking robots in residential complexes established, we will continue to develop optimized parking robots for residential facilities, convenience and commercial facilities, transportation hubs, and public facilities, thereby expanding our client base."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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