Robot Parking Comes to Beijing Airport

Driving to the airport can be a bit of a nightmare. After you make it through all the traffic, you then have to find parking. This could be a challenge unto itself as lots are often crowded and can be quite confusing. If you don’t find parking in time, you risk missing your flight. Asia’s busiest airport is looking to allow visitors to park as quickly and easily as possible by using robots.

Next month, Beijing Capital International Airport will begin testing China’s first intelligent robot parking system. Including 132 parking spaces and eight robots, officials say it will allow visitors to park quickly and also help clear up congestion at the airport.

Robot Parking Takes Less Than a Minute

Officials claim the whole process will take less than a minute. Drivers park their car on a tray at one of six locations in the parking lot. The robot then lifts the car and carries it to an empty space.

When the customer is ready to collect their vehicle, they simply scan their parking ticket or enter their plate number at a terminal. They are then instructed where to go to collect their car. Once at the proper location, it takes less than two minutes for the vehicle to be retrieved.

Robots Last Six Hours Per Charge and Autonomously Go to Charging Station

The robots can lift up to 3.5 tons and emit zero emissions. Onboard sensors help the robots navigate the parking lot and avoid any cars or pedestrians that may get in the way. They can also work up to six hours on a single charge. When they need to recharge, the robots autonomously go to their charging stations.

There are plans to expand the robot parking system to other airports. Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is scheduled to open in September, also will deploy parking robots.

Check out our articles on raspberry picking robots and autonomous parking at Maryland’s airport.