Many agree, it is not a question of “if” autonomous vehicles will disrupt transportation—but when. Although the global coronavirus pandemic slowed development for many industry leaders, progress continued. Stricter hygiene protocols also strengthened some use cases for autonomous vehicles, while transportation agencies continued preparing legal frameworks for future deployment.
Autonomous cars will change the experience of driving. Parking is likely to be redesigned as well. Some parts of parking may remain familiar, while others—including cost, safety, and how vehicles coordinate—may change significantly.
Autonomous driving could mean fewer collisions
Parking can be particularly complex in dense urban areas. Confusion, limited visibility, unpredictable movements, and tight spaces all contribute to parking-related collisions. More capable autonomous-driving systems may eventually reduce some of these hazards.
Automakers have explored collaborative parking systems that allow vehicles to communicate and coordinate with one another. Better communication could reduce unpredictability and streamline the parking process, particularly as sensors, cameras, and emergency-control systems improve.
Communication between connected vehicles may eventually make parking more predictable than it is today. Artificial intelligence and vehicle-control technology continue to expand what fully automated parking could accomplish.
Better information matters now
Fully automated parking is not yet an everyday reality for most drivers. ParkSwap focuses on a practical problem drivers face today: helping a driver leaving a street spot share timely information with a nearby driver looking for one.