Let Your Smartphone Park Your Car

Robert Bosch GmbH is developing a version of its automatic park assist system that can be operated remotely from a smartphone, The Engineer reports.

The system employs a dozen ultrasonic sensors to size up a parking space and calculate how to maneuver the car into the correct parked position. It takes control of the accelerator, brake pedal, steering and transmission to guide the vehicle automatically.

The fully autonomous system can be activated from within the car or remotely through a smartphone app that links to the vehicle's wi-fi link. The Engineer says the technology could go into production by 2015.

Bosch has previously described its next-generation system as including a remote control. But it hasn't mentioned a phone app before. The company points out that remote parking enables a car to be safely inserted into a space too tight to open the doors.

The Engineer note that Bosch has been marketing a parking aid since 2008 that automatically steers the car during a parking maneuver. That system requires the driver to operate the pedals and transmission.