A commercial building near Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai opened a 765-lot computerised multi-storied car park on August 12.
Motorists drive into slots inside a parking bay, much like an automatic car wash. TV screens, voice prompts and grooves in the ground guide the driver into a proper fit. After clearing a checklist, the driver is given an access card and within seconds, the car is pulled into the building, given a spot and lifted onto a shelf.
According to the developer, parking is currently free and the whole process takes less than 160 seconds, during which time car owners can watch the whole process live on TV inside a central bay.
With ever increasing urbanisation and lack of space to build traditional car parks, plus the claimed additional safety and protection from ordinary car park scrapes, these ‘robotic’ car parks are surely the way of the future.
You can view a video of the robotic car park in action here.