BMW has announced that it has developed a fully-automated parking system for the i3, which will debt next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
BMW has announced that it has developed a fully-automated parking system for the i3, which will debt next month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Unlike some other parking systems, the i3’s system takes the technology to the next level, since the driver can completely exit the vehicle before it parks itself.
At next month’s debut BMW will debut the 360-degree collision-avoidance technology that uses four laser scanners to record the environment and reliably identify impediments such as columns, for example in a multi-story car park. If the vehicle approaches a wall or a column too quickly, the system brakes automatically to prevent the threat of collision. The vehicle is brought to a standstill very precisely with centimeters to spare. If the driver steers away from the obstacle or changes direction, the system releases the brakes. This system relieves the burden on the driver in an environment with poor visibility and makes a further contribution to enhanced safety and comfort.
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The fully automated Remote Valet Parking Assistant in the BMW i3 combines information from the laser scanners with the digital site plan of a building. If the driver uses the Smartwatch to activate the system it will steer the vehicle independently through the levels, while the driver has already got out of the car. Once the BMW i3 has arrived at the parking space, the vehicle locks itself and waits to be called by Smartwatch and voice command. The fully automated Remote Valet Parking Assistant then calculates the exact time until the driver arrives at the car park and starts up the BMW i3 so that it arrives at the car park exit at exactly the right time.
BMW has not announced any production plans.
Source: BMW
