One of the most frustrating parts of owning a car is finding parking in giant garages. Driving aimlessly around until you find a spot, and then forgetting where you parked when you finally return to find your car, are experiences all drivers unfortunately have to deal with. But, drivers trying to find a spot in the parking garage in “The Cube” in Birmingham, England, can breathe a sigh of relief: a machine will park your car for you.
Finding parking in the Cube, a 23-story building that houses flats, offices, shops, restaurants, and a hotel, could be tricky; a special kind of parking garage was in order. The garage — only one of two of its kind in the world — is 65 feet underground and cost nearly $3.2 million to build.
The driver simply pulls into the garage, and swipes a special key chain, which identifies each car. The driver them pulls into an elevator, and gets out of the car. The vehicle is taken down by the elevator, and then special robots take over and gently move the car to an open spot. The automated system is so fancy, it even spins your car around so that it’s facing the right direction when it’s returned to you.
It’s unclear how much it would cost to park in this garage, but, by the looks of it, I’m guessing it’s not cheap.
Check out a video of the garage in action at the BBC’s Web site.
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