Robots have found another avenue to enter the working world. Stanley Robotics has launched an automated valet, which is currently an employee at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
Dubbed Stan, the system is designed to increase garage owner revenue and make life easier for busy travelers. First, users reserve a parking space through a smartphone app. Once the driver arrives at the garage, they leave their car in a designated spot and carry on with their day. There’s no exchange of car keys, since Stan physically lifts the vehicle by its wheels to an empty space.
The car-carrying robot scans the car with the latest sensor technology before parking to ensure there’s enough room. Each iteration of Stan can handle up to 400 car spots at a time. Adding another impressive figure into the mix, the system will be able to transport 20 to 30 thousand cars per year, according to Stanley Robotics.
Since there’s no need to allot room for opening car doors between parking spaces, the system can pack 50 percent more vehicles into an existing garage. When more cars are in rotation, more cash is flowing into garage operators’ pockets.
When a traveler is ready to pick up their car, it will be waiting in the same drop-off location. The booking system can sync with a user’s flight schedule, pinpointing exactly when to have the car ready. For added control, users also can designate retrieval times within the smartphone app.
Watch Stan demonstrated its automated valet parking service in the video below.