Toyota Motor Europe – Automated Valet Parking Research

Toyota Motor Europe, along with other automotive industry manufacturers, are assessing the potential for Automated Valet Parking (AVP) ahead of including systems capable of autonomous driving in their vehicles.

An in-depth survey of the views of major parking operators, equipment manufacturers, airport and shopping centre operators, other interested parties was carried out to research the European parking industry’s view of AVP.

Secondly, a series of design studies was carried out to examine how AVP could be incorporated into existing real-life car parks at a shopping centre, an airport and a railway station, and how car park operations could be adapted for AVP.

Results

The study Identified barriers to the introduction of AVP and that there was no demonstrable business case for investment by parking operators. In particular, a requirement for one universal system of AVP was cited so that any make of AVP car can park in any AVP equipped car park.

There are legal liability and practical arguments to segregate AVP vehicles from other vehicles and pedestrians.

Generic design solutions were identified which would allow the introduction of AVP, but no “one size fits all” or simple solution to segregation due to complex design and operational constraints. In particular the need to segregate AVP vehicles from both manually driven vehicles and pedestrians is complex and in most cases it is practically impossible to achieve 100% segregation without losing a significant number of spaces.