The parking robots are coming.

Over the past decade, automated parking systems have become quite common in Europe and Asia, where land use constraints are tighter and many areas more congested than the US. The number of automobiles produced worldwide may actually be on the decline, but we still crank out over 50 million cars each year. Along with the new trend of […]

Meet 1706 Rittenhouse’s Robot Garage

Inquirer real estate reporter Alan Heavens takes a look at 1706 Rittenhouse Square Street‘s Jetsons-like automated parking system.Heavens writes that after a resident drives his car onto a pallet in the building, “the system takes the car and its pallet automatically to the nearest empty space on one of four levels below. On the way […]

Coming Soon: Robots Parking Cars in West Hollywood, Calif.

If you can imagine a parking garage with a valet service run by robots, then you have a good idea of what’s up the road in West Hollywood, Calif. In June, city officials plan to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the city’s first fully automated parking garage for City Hall visitors, staff and […]

How Legacy Automated Parking Systems Work

For the last year and a half or so, we bombarded you with news about how many vehicles any given manufacturer sells each month. We witnessed together how millions after millions after millions of vehicles find new owners each year worldwide. Toyota alone, to give you an example, sells around 8 and a half million […]

I, Robotic Parking

There are significant advantages to robotic parking structures, including better land use, low operating cost, and modular construction. It can also be safer and offer fewer hassles to customers. I’m fascinated with robotic parking garages for several reasons. The first is that I initially encountered the idea in science fiction novels; see the references for the […]

How Mechanization Can Help Cities Rethink Parking

Unsightly and space-consuming, parking is nonetheless a key component for most urban development. But the rise in innovative parking solutions and mechanization technologies is poised to transform the parking garage from an eyesore into a cohesive element in any sustainable, walkable and livable project. The parking garage is a frequently contentious and often maligned building […]

The Valet You Don’t Have To Tip

The new first law of real estate: location, location, robot parking garage.