IAA Motor Show Unveils New Automatic Valet System

The booth of Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) is seen during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), in Munich, Germany, Sept. 6, 2021. (AFP)
The booth of Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) is seen during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), in Munich, Germany, Sept. 6, 2021. (AFP)
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IAA Motor Show Unveils New Automatic Valet System

The booth of Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) is seen during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), in Munich, Germany, Sept. 6, 2021. (AFP)
The booth of Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) is seen during a press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA), in Munich, Germany, Sept. 6, 2021. (AFP)

Struggling to find a place to park your car? Not anymore! Your car will soon be able to automatically park itself in any parking lot thanks to a new system unveiled at the Munich Motor Show. According to its developers, the system is "ready" to be deployed.

"This step does not require the driver intervention anymore," said Robert Exler, responsible for the "automatic valet" system at Bosch, according to AFP.

There is no need to wait for self-driving cars to become ubiquitous to use this system that consists of cameras and sensors that direct the car and helps it avoid obstacles.

The new technique was demonstrated during the IAA Motor Show in Munich. Other demonstrations featured cars from several brands such as Mercedes, Ford, and Audi that stopped to allow pedestrians to pass, or to avoid a can in one of the show's parking lots.

The cameras within the lot present "an external view on the exterior of the vehicle to see if any hazards are approaching," explained Exler.

Bosch started the development of the new system in 2015. It relies on a connection that links the cameras with the remotely controlled vehicle to accelerate or decelerate its speed or to move it back without the driver's intervention.



US Auto Safety Agency Reviewing Tesla Answers on Robotaxi Deployment Plans

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Tesla is seen on a store in Paris, France, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Tesla is seen on a store in Paris, France, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
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US Auto Safety Agency Reviewing Tesla Answers on Robotaxi Deployment Plans

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Tesla is seen on a store in Paris, France, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Tesla is seen on a store in Paris, France, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

US highway safety regulators are reviewing answers Tesla gave in response to the agency's questions about the safety of its self-driving robotaxi in poor weather, the agency said on Friday, ahead of plans to deploy the vehicles as soon as this weekend.

Tesla has sent invitations to a small group of people to join in a limited test of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, which is tentatively set to start on Sunday, according to posts and email screenshots on social media.

In a letter last month, NHTSA asked Tesla to answer detailed questions by June 19 on its plans to launch paid robotaxi service in Austin, to assess how the electric vehicle maker's cars with full self-driving technology will perform in poor weather, Reuters said.

The agency said it has received Tesla's response "and is in the process of reviewing it. Once our review has been completed the public file will be updated."

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The invitations said a Tesla employee will accompany riders in the front passenger seat, the posts showed. NHTSA asked Tesla if vehicles "will be supervised or otherwise monitored by Tesla in real time."

NHTSA has been investigating Tesla full self-driving collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions since October. The probe covers 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with full self-driving technology after four reported collisions, including a 2023 fatal crash.

The agency said in May it was seeking additional information about Tesla's development of robotaxis "to assess the ability of Tesla's system to react appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions" as well details on robotaxi deployment plans and the technology being used.

NHTSA said in May it wants to know how many vehicles will be used as robotaxis and the expected timetable for availability of robotaxi technology for vehicles controlled by people other than Tesla.

NHTSA's letter asked Tesla to describe how it intends to ensure the safety of robotaxi operations in reduced roadway visibility conditions such as sun glare, fog, airborne dust, rain, or snow. It also wants to know what happens if poor visibility is encountered during a ride.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he will focus on safety in the trial, with humans remotely monitoring the vehicles.