Robot parking valet introduced at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport

A new automated parking valet designed by a French startup allows greater ease and efficiency in airport parking.

By now, we have heard a lot about driverless cars, trucks, and even taxis, but now French startup Stanley Robotics has introduced an automated parking valet named Stan at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Passengers will no longer need to waste valuable time looking for a parking space or ferrying their luggage from a distant parking lot to the terminal. Cars can now be dropped off at Stanley Robotics’ dedicated parking terminal. Drivers lock their car and take their keys, then enter their flight details and confirm their booking at a nearby terminal. Stan the valet robot will then arrive to collect the car, clamping the wheels and lifting the entire car to move it around. Stan also knows when each customers’ return flight is due, and will have their car ready and waiting in a pick-up area on their return.

The valet robots allow airports to achieve greater efficiency in parking by allowing cars to be parked much closer together without risking dings and dents. And because they are able to operate in existing car parks, no new parking infrastructure is needed. Stanley Robotics spent two years designing the all-electric robots, and the company hopes that the deal with Charles de Gaulle airport is just the beginning. They have recently closed a funding round, which raised USD 4 million, and hope the fresh capital will allow the Paris-based company to expand into airports globally. Although Stanley Robotics is focusing on the airport parking market, the technology may also hold out hope for easier parking in other areas. With robot delivery vehicles almost here, will robot parking valets also be coming to your neighborhood soon?