My brief overview of parking problems indicated that there is a need, and, thus, an opportunity for improved parking service:

The combination of smartcars and ITS-Park can provide a new service for car drivers, with sufficient benefits, such that they will be willing to (1) buy the needed smartcar option; and (2)  pay for using the automated parking garage. This service will also indirectly benefit cities and the environment.

My too optimistic scenarios (World 2020) paint a directional picture of this new automated parking service for the long-term. But such scenario dreams are meaningless unless there are reasonable paths leading to deployment of such services. The first deployment path question is: How close is the necessary technology to being available, and affordable? To be able to automatically park cars we need: (1) improved smartcars technology; (2) the technology for ITS-Park lots and garages; and (3) supporting Internet technology. The first part of the smartcars parking technology is already available in the form of parking assist options - on sale and being purchased by consumers internationally.

The Wikipedia encyclopedia summarizes world advancements in the technology of parking assist systems under two headings: “Intelligent Parking Assist System ( IPAS)”;  and “Parking Sensors”. The first one emphasizes how a parallel parking assistance system works, using Toyota’s Lexus and Prius systems as an example.  The second article covers how the sensors work. That article is especially interesting in supplying details of the Mercedes-Benz system of ten ultrasonic sensors located within the front and rear bumpers, including a good set of overview diagrams. Most systems use some number of ultrasonic sensors as their basis. Nissan’s system (Around View Monitor) is different in using four of what they term “super wide angle high-resolution cameras” covering the  front, back and both sides of the car: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECHNOLOGY/INTRODUCTION/DETAILS/AVM/ Many web sites display press releases describing various manufacturer’s parking assistance systems, including videos. Just Google “park assist systems”.

Volkswagen seems to constantly churn out novel advertising concepts. I love this new nontraditional ad Ogilvy came up with for Cape Town, South Africa. Many people think that in order to capture someone’s attention you need something big and something expensive. That just isn’t true.

VW’s simple ad concept consisted of hiring parking attendants for the day and outfitting them in electric yellow vests. The ad centers around the new park assist feature in Golfs (sensors, cameras and computer are linked to the electronically assisted steering system to parallel reverse the vehicle into a parking space on either side of the road… aka pretty cool technology in a reasonably-priced vehicle). Basically, this ad is a comical way of saying that parking attendants are no longer needed because of this new feature.

VW paid the parking attendants to walk around the city, catch a movie, roam the beach, and even sit down for an afternoon beer. The company did not have to invest in big billboards or commercials scrolling across a theater screen, they simply had to hire a few parking attendants for the day- a cheap and very attention-grabbing idea.

Bravo VW and Ogilvy!

ASISTENTE DE

APARCAMIENTO

MANOS LIBRES

 Finaliza uno de los suplicios cotidianos para cualquier usuario del automóvil: el aparcamiento en línea. El dispositivo electrónico capaz de encargarse de todo el trabajo ya está listo. Detecta el espacio libre apropiado para el coche que lo equipa; y gira el volante con exactitud en cada uno de los movimientos necesarios para rematar la maniobra. La persona sentada a los mandos sólo necesita acelera y frenar.

>>FOTO

El Asistente de Aparcamiento, Park Assist, comienza a extenderse por los familiares de tipo medio, modelos como los Citroën C4 Picasso, Mercedes Clase A o Clase B. Se ofrece, todavía, como opcional, con un precio cercano a 900 euros, pero se popularizará en muy poco tiempo.

[ LOS GIROS APROPIADOS ]
El dispositivo Park Assist incorpora tres elementos fundamentales: el propio equipo electrónico encargado de calcular los movimientos; los sensores de ultrasonido dispuestos a ambos lados del paragolpes frontal; y la dirección con servoasistencia eléctrica, aunque ya existen equipos capaces de actuar con direcciones provistas de asistencia hidráulica, la solución clásica en la inmensa mayoría de turismos presentes en el mercado.

La primera tarea del Asistente de Aparcamiento consiste en localizar la plaza de aparcamiento en línea. Los sensores identifican esos huecos siempre que el coche avance en paralelo a los vehículos aparcados a menos de 35 kilómetros por hora y a una distancia comprendida entre 30 y 180 centímetros. Una vez encontrada esa plaza, 80 centímetros más larga que el propio coche, avisa a la persona sentada a los mandos con: una señal sonora u óptica, o con un aviso verbal.

A partir de ese momento sólo se necesita activar el dispositivo y retirar las manos del volante, que se moverá sólo. El Asistente identifica cualquier obstáculo en ese hueco o el propio bordillo. También actúa de noche o sin la referencia del bordillo. Un último detalle: realiza el ejercicio completo de aparcamiento en el mismo tiempo que el usuario más hábil.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen technology like this. BMW has the technology for their cars to pull forward into a garage after you get out of the vehicle and pull out the key. Toyota has a similar technology called Intelligent Park Assist, which lets their cars parallel park themselves into a parking space, although there have been some reports that this technology might need a little more fine tuning before it’s ready for the masses.

Ford has unveiled today their own parking assist technology which is similar to Toyota’s. The cool thing about it is that it will actually find (via sensors) a parking space before you can activate the system. It will be first rolled out in the Cadillac line of autos, but it should find it’s way to Ford and maybe Mercury, if that brand doesn’t hit the chopping block. Here’s a cool demo video from Ford.

the tiguan(it means “tiger+iguana”)has launched yesterday.

it was rainyday but many people came to show place.

even Bigbang’s Bigfan.??

the tiguan has very specific function that called “park assist”

automatic parking system.what a wonderful world~

Flickr photo by wolvo.

Dear Reader,

I’m not really a car nut, but i like to read about new technology and stuff.

It’s a boy thing.

I was reading this article about the new Volkswagen Tiguan.

Catchy name, huh. It’s a portmanteau of ‘tiger’ and ‘iguana’.

Two animals that i immediately think of when i think compact semi-off-roader.

And i don’t think about guano. Not even once.

Anyway, we were in the carpark at Knox City and i was telling Princess about this new technology that VW has. It’s called “park assist”, and apparently allows the car to park itself with very little input from the driver.

The numerous cutting edge technologies of the Tiguan include the world’s first Park Assist system implemented on an SUV. This optional feature enables automated steering functionality while reversing into a parking space parallel to the road. You simply control the accelerator pedal, brake and clutch while the Tiguan steers into a pre-measured space under sensor control. Whenever you manually intervene in the steering process, the Park Assist function is deactivated. [source]

You can even stand on the running board in a blue strapless dress with the door open, and the car will park itself.

Of course, i was telling Princess about this while i was parking the car.

And, of course, as i finished straightening up and rolling just far enough forward to fit in snugly, i ran into the car in front of us.

Not hard enough to set off the airbag, but it was a bump, and no doubt about it.

The car in front had one of those new-fangled ‘tow bar’ things.

They should be required to have orange flags on them, like bicycles used to have.

Having just been discussing the pros and cons of computerised robotic parking assistance, to her credit, Princess didn’t make the obvious comment.

She’s just so good to me that way.

I checked the car in front for damage, and it was fine, by the way. So rest assured that i’m not hooning around knocking off bumper bars and stoving in boot-scuttles in the Knox City car park.

Yours,
Gullybogan

Nueva campaña titulada “Magia” de DDB y Tribal DDB con la productora The Gang y postproducción de Infinia para Volkswagen Touran con sistema de asistencia al aparcamiento (ver vídeo e infografía), para que nos olvidemos de las complicadas maniobras y golpes de “contacto”. Tan sorprendente que parecerá que tienes poderes, como se muestra a través de una original historia en la que nadie en el colegio cree a un niño que lo ha visto con sus propios ojos.

España. Volkswagen Touran Traveller con Park Assist. Mi padre tiene poderes (enero 2008) 45″:

Versión 35″.

FICHA TÉCNICA

Localización: España
Cliente: Volkswagen (V.A.E.S.A.)
Producto: Touran.
Agencia: DDB Barcelona y Tribal DDB
Contactos del cliente: Caita Montserrat y Albert García
Director creativo ejecutivo: José María Roca de Viñals
Director de arte: Xavi Sitjar
Redactor: Isahac Oliver
Director de cuenta: Gorka Lozano y Ester Vall.
Ejecutiva: Ester Vall
Producer: Vicky Moñino
Agencia de medios: Mediacom
Productora: The Gang
Productor: Matt Grousset y Raúl Garcia
Realizador: Sebastián Grousset
Montador: Pablo Plant
Dtor. Fotografia: Pancho Alcaine
Operador: Pancho Alcaine
Postproduccion: Infinia
Musica: Librería (2 músicas diferentes de Infinia)
Estudio Sonido: Infinia
Locutor: Off castellano y catalán (Roger Pera)
Título Del Spot: Magia
Duracion: 2 Spots de 30”, 45” cines, 55” festivales
Fecha Emisión: Enero 2008

.

En Italia han emitido un spot (¿internacional adaptado?) con una parodia de la famosa serie “El coche fantástico” (Knight Rider en inglés), utilizando la reconocida melodía. Este spot tiene un gran efecto viral por número de reproducciones y en las numerosas versiones caseras subidas a Youtube.

Italia. Coche fantástico (Supercar en Italia) (octubre 2007):

.
Versión en inglés.

El coche fantastico, introducción:

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Otros anuncios de Volkswagen Touran

El tren de la bruja (nov2006),

de la agencia Agence V (Paris) “Finally, it’s great to be a dad” (al final, es estupendo ser padre):

Agency: Agence V
Creative Director: Christian Vince
Art Director: Fabien Claverie
Production Company: Addict Film. RSA/Little Minx
Director: H5
Post Production: Mikros
Sound: Kouz

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Coche de familia.

“Sometimes it is a family car. sometimes it’s not.” (algunas veces es un coche de familia. Otras no) (dic2006):

.

España, el anuncio anterior, “Ser padre es algo maravilloso” (mayo 2007) :

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Pareja gay de vecinos. (ago2006) “More than a family car”.

.

Visto en generalista. motorpasion.com. autoblog.it.

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The PDC115 is SmartPark’s latest addition to its range of parking sensors. Offering the same technology found in their OEM models, this kit features advanced object detection for fast, accurate performance in a stylish design that will compliment any vehicle’s appearance.

At only 19mm, the sensor heads sit flush with the bumper bar and can be colour-coded to match your car’s paint exactly.

Competitively priced and with a 3 year manufacturer’s guarantee, the SmartPark range of sensors offer you unbeatable value for money in a top- quality product.

Go to PDC115 product page

View manufacturers website www.smartpark.net