Watch Ford Demo Automated Valet Parking System In Detroit

German automakers have been experimenting with automated valet parking technology and it’s finally come stateside thanks to a partnership between Bosch and Ford.

As part of the collaboration, the companies have installed Bosch’s intelligent parking infrastructure into Bedrock’s Assembly Garage in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit.

The intelligent parking infrastructure communicates with Ford Escapes equipped with vehicle-to-infrastructure communications technology.  The garage’s sensors recognize vehicles, pedestrians and other hazards, and uses this information to guide the Escape to an open parking spot.

Also Watch: Mercedes’ Automated Valet Parking System Allows Cars To Park Themselves

While the system is setup for a demonstration basis, the technology would allow people to pull up to a garage, exit the vehicle and use their smartphone to tell the car to park itself. When the owner is ready to leave, they’d walk to a designated pick-up area and tell their vehicle to come get them.

It will likely be awhile before parking garages and vehicles are outfitted with the technology to make automated valet parking widespread, but Ford’s chief technology officer, Ken Washington, said “We believe automated valet parking technology holds great promise” and fits with their vision of the future which has “increasingly automated vehicles that are more aware of their surroundings.”

While getting parking garages to install the necessary technology is a hurdle, Ford noted the system allows garages to be more efficient as they can accommodate up to 20 percent more vehicles in the same amount of space. The company also noted garages could be equipped with automated services such as car washes or charging stations.