We are all very fortunate right now to be living in a time where innovative technology continues to sur-prise us. Each day it seems as though there is a new product designed to make our lives easier: technology surrounded around the idea of convenience. In the past few years, we have seen a rise in production of driverless cars. Although likes of Uber and Google have proven to be unsuccessful, it is an accepted fact that we as a society are certainly on the path to a driverless-car community.
However, a French technology company, Stanley Robotics, has taken the idea of driverless cars one step further. What if, in fact, there was an external device that parked our cars for us? Their solution: Stan, your personal valet. Let me explain:
Who or What Is Stan?
Based off of the mother company’s name, Stanley Robotics created an automatic system, called Stan, to park your car. Modeled after a forklift, Stan slides under any-sized vehicle as long as it is parked. It then gently lifts the car by locking onto all four tires, essentially suspending the car in the air and onto it’s beams. Once Stan has hold of your vehicle, it is able to move from there.
A Driverless Machine Carries My Car?
Precisely. Using the latest sensor technology, Stan is able to navigate its way through parking lots to find an open space to house your car temporarily. Even more impressively, this technology is able to adapt its own features based on scans of your car’s height and length. Stan can accurately identify the surface area of an open space and match it to the car’s to see if it is a perfect fit.
Where Is This Used?
Stanley Robotics originally pitched this idea for airports. There is currently a station at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris that houses a few Stan operators. Since its launch in 2015, Stanley Robotics has raised over $4 million to expand these services to other airports world-wide.
Why Would I Be Bothered Enough To Use This?
Just like all innovative technology, you would use the Stan system to make your life easier when at the airport. The system is set up so that your arrival and departure, to and from the airport, is as painless as possible. Stanley Robotics explains that the entire process is simple through these 3 steps:
1.Download their app on your phone beforehand (if you do not have a smartphone, you can book online as well). Here, you book your spot with the company, listing your flight details and how long you will be away for.
2.Upon your arrival to the parking-garage entrance, you will see a specified area for Stanley Robotics. You simply drive your car into the company’s garage, grab your luggage, and head out to catch your flight.
3.Since you provided your information beforehand, Stan will have already parked and re-turned your car at the appropriate time to the company’s garage. So when you’re ready to drive away, your car will be waiting for you exactly where you last left it.
And that’s it. As I said, Stan is all for your convenience.
Why Is This Revolutionary?
The beauty of Stanley Robotics’ invention is that Stan is not entirely beneficial for you; it’s functions are helpful for you, the government and the environment.
Customer — A major turn-off for most people in regards to valet is the idea of a stranger in your car. With Stan, there are no individuals neither driving nor controlling your car while you are away. Even better, Stan’s ability to move your car from underneath means that you get to keep your car keys with you at all times. Privacy and safety are everything these days, which is something Stan is trying to preserve.
Government — Funding and financial maintaining airports is under the jurisdiction of a state. We can all admit that change does come at a cost, but Stan creatively does just the opposite. The ability of the sensor technology enables Stan to park numerous cars in compact areas, without bumping or crashing the car. In essence, Stan creates a high-density parking algorithm to maximize space. Additionally, since there are no humans involved in the retrieval of the parked cars, there is no need to keep these garages illuminated, clean and maintained constantly. Over time, this will actually decrease funds put toward airports.
Environment — In a time like today where we need to be extra careful of our environment, it is no sur-prise that Stanley Robotics created a system that works entirely on electricity. Stan is not run on gas, which is both environmentally and economically savvy. In addition, the ability for the machine to move the cars without turning them on eliminates exhaust gases in the parking lot. If you think about it, when you are trying to find a parking space, you usually take a few laps before finding a spot. During this whole time, you are not only wasting your time, but also wasting the gas in your tank, and thus emitting toxic gases. So if recycling is not your thing, try using Stan the next time you are in Paris!
See More: The Latest Technology Updates On Self-Driving Cars
Conclusion
So there you have it. Stanley Robotics has created a machine with an equally as smart management system to convenience your life. Stan saves you the time, energy and the worry around the already stress-educing activity that is flying. Hopefully over the next few years, Stanley Robotics will be able to branch to other international airports not only within Europe, but to other global hubs. Maybe Stan will expand its horizon a bit more and will be housed at large stadiums or conference centers: who knows! Make sure to look out for this revolutionary product in the next coming months! I know for sure you will.
