UK Airport Tests Out Robot Valet Service
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Love flying but hate the hassle of dealing with airport parking lots? You’re definitely not alone. And soon, you might get your wish of having a more streamlined parking experience.
Experimenting with robot valets
Gatwick Airport in London is currently experimenting with a robot valet pilot. Like its name implies, this system relies on robots instead of humans to perform valet services for customers needing to park their vehicle before embarking on a flight. Not only will the robot valets be able to park vehicles, but they’ll also be able to bring the vehicle to the travelers upon their return, to save them time and stress on their drive back home.
Currently, the parking lot grounds have a 6,000-vehicle capacity when the vehicles are parked by the owners. The pilot will enable the airport to robot-park up to 8,500 vehicles since the robot valets can park the vehicles closer together without scratching the vehicle exteriors.
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Future implications
If successful, this pilot could spread to other airports in the U.K. and beyond. This new service would not only help airports maximize parking space. It would also offer customers more convenience and save them time getting to their terminal faster, then save them time when retrieving their vehicle.
As the second-largest airport in the U.K., Gatwick should present an extensive testing-ground for the three-month pilot, which is set to start by August. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting project.
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News Source: 8News
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