Bosch and Daimler launched the development of fully automated and driverless parking in 2015 and presented the pilot solution to the public in real traffic in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart in 2017. The premiere was followed by a test and commissioning phase. Since 2018, visitors to the museum have been able to experience the parking service live in the presence of trained security staff and share their experiences. Lighting concepts were also tested on the vehicle as part of the pilot project. Turquoise light signals mark the automated driving mode and inform passers-by and other road users that the vehicle is driving autonomously. The findings were also taken into account in the recently adopted 'SAE 3134' standard. Now 'Automated Valet Parking' has been approved by the authorities as a fully automated and driverless parking function in accordance with 'SAE Level 4'.

"The authorities' decision shows that innovations such as automated valet parking are possible in Germany first," emphasizes Dr. Markus Heyn, Member of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch. "Driverless driving and parking are important components of future mobility. The automated parking system clearly shows how far we have already come on this development path."

Safety was an important issue for both partners, and because no approval procedures have yet been established for automated driving functions that operate completely without a driver, the local authorities - Stuttgart Regional Council and Baden-Württemberg State Ministry of Transport - and experts from TÜV Rheinland accompanied the project from the outset. The aim was to assess the safe operation of the vehicle and parking garage technology.

The result is a comprehensive safety concept with corresponding test and approval criteria that can also be used beyond the pilot project. On the one hand, the developers have defined how the driverless vehicle recognizes pedestrians and other cars in its path and reliably stops in the event of an obstacle. In addition, secure communication between all system components and reliable activation of the parking process were implemented.