Hyundai Pilots Parking Robots That Could Squeeze 50% More Cars Into Garages

Hyundai is testing parking robots that could make cramped garages a thing of the past. The automaker says the system can boost parking capacity by 20 to 50 percent by packing vehicles closer together without worrying about opening doors.

The pilot program, run by a consortium of Hyundai companies including Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Wia, and Hyundai E&C, is set for an apartment complex in Siheung, southwest of Seoul. Two sets of Hyundai WIA robots will manage 53 spaces in an underground garage.

3 inches thick, and work by sliding under a car, lifting its wheels, and moving the whole vehicle. Each robot uses a LiDAR sensor and can handle cars up to 7,496 pounds. 7 mph, but drivers don't need to wait around, they simply leave their car at a drop-off point and later request it back via a kiosk.

Because the robots can move in any direction, they can fit cars into narrow spots. That means less time hunting for parking, more space for garage owners, plus potential safety and environmental perks. Hyundai aims to gather data on waiting times, throughput, and utilization rates, and hopes to develop a formula for the ideal number of parking spots and robots per building.