Parking facility caters to autonomous vehicles

Chicago-based company has upgraded 500 parking spaces with technology to meet the needs of driverless cars.

Once the workings of Hollywood fiction, autonomous vehicles are very much a reality in the modern day. As robotic systems evolve to operate in the same way humans do, so too does its application to everyday life. Who would have thought an autonomous ferry that arrives when called, much like an elevator, would become a reality? From a small-scale ferry to a huge ship, autonomous cargo vessels are even being tested in the South China Sea. Autonomous vehicles exist to take the onus from humans, freeing up time to do more important tasks unsuitable for robots.

Chicago-based technology company SpotHero understands this logic and has therefore geared up 500 of its parking facilities to meet the demands of such vehicles. SpotHero, which helps drivers find parking in cities, has upgraded its facilities using its HeroConnect platform. This allows drivers, the vehicles themselves, garages, car manufacturers and cities to communicate, exchanging data and payments.

The new parking features for driverless cars include license plate recognition, IoT sensors and other capabilities. These allow the unmanned vehicles to book, pay, enter and exit a parking facility without the need for human interaction. In an era where the digitization of almost every aspect of life has never been more popular, this is likely to appeal to those who have invested in an autonomous vehicle. While Chicago rapidly develops the infrastructure to match, SpotHero hopes its offering will appeal to those seeking it.