Self-Parking Cars

How Self-Parking Cars do what they do!

Revolutionary technology

It’s an incredible pleasure to drive your new car, but it can be hard to park it, especially in cities with congested traffic, such as London. However, it does not need to be hard anymore. You don’t need to worry about a dent in your bumper,or scratch in the paintwork. Following on from our article about technology that senses dangers around your car, this article looks at technology that can help you park; or do it for you!

Self-Parking Cars

New technology enables even bad drivers to park their car in a small space; no jokes about women drivers.

The technology can also identify potential emerging hazards as we drive the roads, and ensure that we don’t get in trouble by missing something in our blind spots. Ben,of All Drives and Controls, explains that it is amazing how far technology has come. “In the factories we now have Unitronics Unistream and other technologies automating the manufacturer of cars to an incredible degree of accuracy. With this new technology the automation is going use a side too.“

The whole secret of this revolutionary technology is in camera system that records the traffic and hazards, and sends interval information it detects to the vehicle’s computer. The assistantthen warns us of a red light or dangerous turn and can even recommend the driving speed in order to comply with the green wave“ of traffic lights.

As alluded to earlier, this modern technology also offersthe key to a new solution for drivers that find it difficult to park their cars (or who are lazy to do so). It allows your car to park itself. Several leading manufacturers have implemented a computerised system that uses sonar and allows self-parking, even in a very small space.

Parallel parking system

A parallel parking system is a newer version of the Intelligent Parking Assist System (IPAS), also known as the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS).

Let’s take the language and terminology up a peg or two to seeparking how a computer does…

A parallel parking maneuver is made of N iteratively, repeated low-speed motions (to the back and in front) with coordinated lateral and logitudianal control, which controls lateral displacement of the vehicle. The term Parallel“ term is perfect use of language, because it indicates that the start and the end orientations of the car are the same for each iteration i=1,…,N.

When drivers park with a parallel parking system, they need to first pull up alongside the parking space and move until the car’s rear bumper passes the rear wheel of the car parked in front of the open space. Then backup camera system automatically activates and displays navigation on the dashboard. If the parking space is large enough to park your car, the box will be green and if it’s not, the box will turn red. You need to move the box until it turns green.

Sonar sensors

Sonar sensors in the front or side bumper register the position of the vehicle in front and behind you and then they provide the projected rectangle on the screen. The sensors on your front bumper can act as a transmitter or a receiver and they send signals your automatic pilot. All you have to do is to move that rectangle and decide where you want your car to be parked. Once the parking space is identified, you need to press OK button and stop touching the steering wheel. You have then given the command to the car to take over and it starts driving itself. You don’t need to touch the steering wheel that spins in accordance with the given coordinates; the instructions you provided.

As the driver you retain control, and you can use the brakes in case of something unforeseen. If the place you have selected to park is large enough the car will do the work.