Robotic Parking Valets and Solar

Solar is the answer to the problems that automated parking poses.

Medical advancements have made it possible for people to live long full lives. Part of a full life for most first world countries includes owning a vehicle. Parking the vehicle, however, is a growing concern.

When it comes to parking it can be painstaking. This is especially true for large cities, universities and airports. Many have to leave several hours before they need to be somewhere so they can find a parking spot.

Unless taking public transportation, the headache of parking is almost inescapable. Parking garages alleviate this problem to a certain extent, but it can still take hours to find a spot.

This, however, is starting to change. Some airports and parking garages have started using parking robots.

These machines are a beefier version of the robots Amazon uses in its fulfillment centers. These robots organize and retrieve products for thousands of customers.

They make it possible for Amazon to provide one-day delivery quotas. The accuracy and load capacity of Amazon’s robots have cued companies, like Stanley Robotics, to create similar robots for parking.

Pros of Automating Parking Garages

Although cutting down on driving is ideal it isn’t always the path that people take. There are many different reasons for this.

One reason is that these people don’t have to talk to strangers during their commute. Another is the ability it gives them to leave when they want.

However, because cities are growing it means parking is a bigger concern. In response to this issue, robots are now programmed to park cars for us. As Stanley Robotics has demonstrated, these robots provide a beautiful solution.

Decreased Emissions and Robot Parking

Automated garages are the wave of the future. They are able to decrease the emissions of running cars while trying to find a parking spot.

Instead, the driver parks it at the drop-off spot and a robot takes it to its parking spot.

An Efficient Use of Limited Space

These machines are also a great way to save space. Which makes it so more cars can fit in a parking area.

Because the robot drops off and picks up the car the doors don’t need to open. This means the robot can park the vehicles closer together. In fact, Stanley Robotics claims their robots maximize parking by fifty percent.

Save Valuable Time With a Parking Robot

Another advantage of having an automated parking garage is the time it saves. These smart parking garages allow people to drop off a car as one would for a valet service and then go on with their day.

When the driver is ready for their car, the robot is able to also return the car to the drop off spot. This cuts down on the time it would have taken to find the car and leave the crowded parking garage.

A Safer Valet Service

Another perk of an automated parking garage is safety. A traditional valet service takes the car and parks it and then either they return the keys or they are kept in a secure location.

However, with automated parking, the driver always has the keys. They park the car and take the keys with them while a robot picks the car up and moves it somewhere else.

Drawbacks to Using a Robot Parking Attendant

Although robotic parking would solve many parking frustrations it isn’t perfect. Like anything else, there is another side to the coin.

For Robotic parking one of the main concerns is the power source used to charge the robot. Another problem would be if the power were to go out.

 Power Sources for Parking Robots

Most of the time people don’t think about what is powering their lifestyle. However, this is becoming a controversial topic.

Automated parking garages don’t work by magic. They have a power source. The easiest place to get this power is from the electric grid.

However, the majority of the electricity on the grid comes from fossil fuels. This means that the parking robots, created to conserve emissions, aren’t helping. Instead, they are pumping poison into the air through a different source.

Robotic Parking and Power Continuity

Like a phone or computer, a parking robot needs a good charge once in a while. If there was a long power outage, the robot, at some point, would stop working.

Issues would then ensue because although cars don’t need electricity, the robots park cars tight to conserve space. Making it impossible for a human to get into the driver’s seat.

Another problem that might arise is communicating with robots during an outage. Smart parking garages utilize sensor technology in a variety of ways. This technology, however, is reliant on electricity.

Signs indicating available spaces, payment machines, and drop off locations all use sensor tech. If any of these devices got cut off from its power source, it would stop working.

Why Solar Power is the Perfect Fix

The perfect fix for all these automated parking issues is solar. One of the main selling points is that solar is less abrasive on the earth’s environment. What makes solar the ultimate solution, however, is pairing it with battery backup.

With battery-backed solar, automated valet services have a duel purpose. They decrease car emissions and increase efficiency.

Solar and Battery Backup

Solar on its own can only provide power when the sun is shining on the system. This, however, changes with the addition of battery backup.

One of the best batteries on the market today is the Tesla Powerwall. This is a lithium-ion battery. These batteries have large storage capacities and a longer life span.

Energy Savings of Solar

Another reason why it makes sense to switch from fossil fuels to solar is that it is cheaper. Solar has decreased in price over the years.

With the help of solar incentives like the federal ITC, even more, people are now able to afford solar. Today the return on investment for solar is better than its ever been. Making it the ideal solution to all the issues that robotic valets pose.