Parallel Parking System

parking

Autoblog dug up this classic mechanical engineering project from 2006. A team of five University of Toledo students constructed a system to help parallel park a car. First, you drive nose first into the space. Hydraulic rams then lower the drive wheel out of the trunk, raising the rear of the car. The single wheel is also hydraulically driven and moves the car into the space. They have a blog documenting the six week build. Have a look at the demonstration video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uir63vOhXeg]

40 thoughts on “Parallel Parking System

  1. But _this_ is originally from late 2006, the downside on this however would be the much reduced trunk space. If you didn’t need the space in the fron for the engine, you could put one there too, and just drive next to the parking lot an slide in…

  2. It doesn’t matter if this has been done before. It’s an awesome project and I’m sure they learned a zillion things doing it. The reason to do a project is not that no one else has never done it before, but because you simply want to try it yourself.

  3. I’ve too have seen it done before but the neat thing was, back in the 50’s you had a full size spare that was used to accomplish this task so it wasn’t a complete waste it just added some weight for the lifter mechanics. cool stuff tho

  4. Love to see an old idea like this revived. I’ve seen the clip of the 50’s car with the drop down spare, which worked well.
    I also recall one that had four hydraulicly lowered wheels that would allow for the vehicle to move sideways quite easily, as well as doubling as an easy jacking method for changing a tire.

  5. not a fair trial a woman did the first test and a bloke the second one. obviosuly the woman is not capable of driving properly because of her gender disability

    i call for a retest.

    and lets face it my grandad can reverse park quicker than that

  6. It’s kinda useless …. and it takes up a lot of trunk space. What’s the cost for saving a “claimed” 20 seconds. What if I can parallel park quicker than 41?

    People should learn to drive.

    That device would be too expensive

  7. looks like it was fun to build, cool to see in action, but this is absurdly impractical. plus, that was some of the slowest parallel parking i’ve ever seen. i’m going to verify this, but i see people routinely parallel park in 10 seconds or so in the city.

  8. “How intilligent ” people need this simply can’t drive a car and should not have a drive licence.
    ” wow 21 sec ” If it’s so importent not to “waste 20 sec” take a taxi,bus or walk.
    Many people there are bad drivers should simply not drive.
    Yes it’s not new , for 30 years ago a company make a car there could turn all 4 wheel for easy parking.
    This is to much. With all those bad drivers the roads is not safe but dangerous.

    mvh. kenneth
    http://www.myspace.com/astro3000

  9. Handy of the driver behind you doesn’t stop giving you room to park the old fashioned way. Being able to parallel park fast doesn’t make one a safe all around driver no more than having difficulty parallel parking would make another an all around dangerous driver.

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