The Problem

• Most city planning authorities face traffic congestion problems in their cities as a result of the growing amount of vehicles. The streets and available acreage in cities cannot increase in size to keep up with the flow of new vehicles being sold every year. New residents and tourists only add to the congestion problem. City officials know that they must reduce the space consumed to park vehicles.
  
  

The Solution

• Today's parking garages have several disadvantages. Automated parking systems require that all lanes inside parking facilities be removed to save space. The new theory involves stacking the vehicles vertically in compact boxes or carriages, eliminating wasted space. The stacking floors are half the height of a conventional parking garage. The end result will vastly increase the number of vehicles that can be squeezed into a confined area.
  
  

Robotic Placement

• The theory of stacking vehicles by automated means has already been implemented and met with success. Vehicles enter a staging area for pickup. A car lift safely cradles a vehicle on a racking system, then transports it to an available space via a computerized tracker. Each vehicle has its own lift, which keeps it moving along a conveyor system until a final parking destination is reached. The robotic system parks and retrieves vehicles in minutes.
  
  

Security

• Since each vehicle has its own independent moving lift, the problem with accidental bumps, scraps and dents becomes nonexistent, since the system keeps the vehicles separated from each other. The problem with theft and vandalism is also eliminated, since the parking facility remains inaccessible to human traffic and intrusion.
  
  

Computerized Recognition

• To park a car in an automated parking garage, a customer drives his vehicle into an entry bay. After exiting his car, the customer swipes a code card to active the system and leaves. The car is transported by a lift or robotic arms and parked. To retrieve his vehicle, the customer can simply swipe his code card again. The card links the customer to his vehicle so incorrect retrievals cannot occur. Retrieval of a car can take as little as 2.5 minutes.
  
  

Cost

• Automated parking systems do not require gate keepers, security officers, valets or parking attendants, substantially cutting payroll costs while requiring fewer employees to operate the garage. The automated system requires no tipping for services rendered, which is another savings for the customer.