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Ford Testing “Collaborative Parking” Technology in Milton Keynes

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Ford collaborative parking mule

Of all the requisite stresses experienced behind the wheel, searching for a parking spot and not being able to find one may be one of the most exquisite. Whether it’s hunting out a spot before your lecture at university or trying to nab street parking before a dinner appointment, the act of circling some area over and over waiting for a previously unseen open space to materialize is the very stuff of madness. Fortunately, Ford is looking to help make that process a thing of the past with something it calls “collaborative parking.”

“We understand how much wasted time and unnecessary stress is caused by searching for parking spaces in towns and cities,” said Christian Ress, supervisor, Automated Driving Europe, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “With our research into ‘collaborative parking’, we see an opportunity to hand that time back to drivers, helping them enjoy happier, healthier, and more efficient journeys.”


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Ford collaborative parking

Ford is part of a collective involved in the £20-million UK Autodrive project, which seeks to test autonomous and vehicle-to-X technologies on public roads. The “collaborative parking” technology is being tested out in the town of Milton Keynes; BBC on Thursday reported Milton Keynes’ announcement of £28 million in funding for road upgrades, which will “support the delivery of 2,900 new homes and up to 2,500 jobs,” making parking all the more coveted in the process.

Per Ford’s description, “collaborative parking” technology compiles data from parking sensors belonging to vehicles in car parks throughout Milton Keynes and from the lots’ monitoring systems to determine if a spot is open. This data is put forth on a “crowd-sourced” map, which users can view to determine where they’re most likely to find parking.


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News Source: BBC