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London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

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Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#201

Post by entech »

dyauspitr wrote: post #81
pkulak wrote: post #72

I guess we can add this to the ever-growing list of extremely expensive, complicated, inefficient and convoluted solutions to problems that end with the final specification: "but it can't be a train".

Yeah because I want to haul all my luggage on a train journey when I go to the airport. I’ll take a train to a lot of places but the airport is not one of them.

Doesn't have to be binary. Train is more efficient at moving large volume of people reliably compared to a bus or a taxi. I would wager that there are many more people travelling with carry-on only or a single bag for which train is more than adequate.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#202

Post by Nition »

bwblabs wrote: post #142
SoftTalker wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I parked in a robotic parking garage in Denmark ten years ago. This isn't really new tech, though the implementation sounds a bit different.

2015-06-10 indeed: https://youtu.be/H4jYDfOzrjY

Ah, that answers something I was wondering about that the article didn't answer, which is how you can lift a car by its tyres without starting already under the tyre and without friction or forcing them to rotate.

Looks like the answer is (at least for this older system), come in from both sides of the tyre with two separate arms, and have each of those arms have their own little wheels on, so as you move inwards it lifts up the tyre and just rolls your mini wheels a little bit. Clever.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#203

Post by gib444 »

myegorov wrote: post #130
telesilla wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes airport parking is insanely expensive (cough Schipol), so I'll park further away anyway or park somewhere I can get the train. If this helped lower costs I'd be fine with this but probably they'd keep the high price anyway.

Fun fact: you can get to/from Schiphol by bike.

Great way to save some CO2! It really pays to be conscious about that.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#204

Post by sarjann »

pontus wrote: post #14

So I'll have to park my car in a garage first, then take a bus to the terminal just so that a robot can move my car from the place where I parked it to a different place? I was hoping it'd be something where I'd pull up to the curb, grab my bags and head in while the robot parked the car for me but apparently I'll still have to take a bus to the terminal?

I guess the argument might be that it'll be faster than finding a spot. Slightly minor benefit is you don't need to remember where it's parked.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#205

Post by juleiie »

Grombobulous wrote: post #189
juleiie wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about a sudden rainstorm on a bike? Or a heatwave without AC? The way I see it sure you can go everywhere using a less than ideal transport option and manage if you must. But.. why?

You’re right, it’s not ideal. That’s why people in the Netherlands invented a special technology to compensate, which they call “clothes.” Clothes are not really an ideal solution compared to surrounding yourself with a 4,000 pound piece of machinery that costs $50,000, loses half its value in 3 years, and degrades your mental and physical health.

Honestly avoiding people on the street improves my mental and physical health by reducing chronic cortisol. These fuckers stare at you and worse. A day of this and i am an anxious wreck.

It’s better to just get in your tanklet. Your little oasis. Home away from home.

That’s how i move nowadays from most point As to Bs. Music, AC, glasses. Perfect privacy. Calmness. Peace.

Kilograms of metal between you and the vicious, antagonistic reality of 2026 AD

It’s not just a car. It is an armor for the times like these.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#206

Post by skrebbel »

juleiie wrote: post #137
myegorov wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fun fact: you can get to/from Schiphol by bike.

Unless the bike has electric engine and cargo compartment it’s not super viable id say to move all that luggage

I've biked to the airport lots of times. It depends on where you're going of but for short-ish trips a backpack is often though. And I did also once bring a suitcase on a (non electric) cargo bike. Worked fine.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#207

Post by skrebbel »

Etheryte wrote: post #150
myegorov wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fun fact: you can get to/from Schiphol by bike.

I mean, you can get to and from practically any airport by bike if you're determined enough.

Sure but to Schiphol (and any other airport in NL obviously) there's a proper bicycle lane.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#208

Post by bwblabs »

Nition wrote: post #202
bwblabs wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2015-06-10 indeed: https://youtu.be/H4jYDfOzrjY

Ah, that answers something I was wondering about that the article didn't answer, which is how you can lift a car by its tyres without starting already under the tyre and without friction or forcing them to rotate. Looks like the answer is (at least for this older system), come in from both sides of the tyre with two separate arms, and have each of those arms have their own little wheels on, so as you move inwards it…

This is the video of the 11+ year old system installed in Århus Denmark by Lödige Industries from Germany. Lödige Industries more recent solution is actually moving the whole pallet you park on, so you can also plug your car into it: https://youtu.be/-_ZxnDrfwGk?t=46

The system in London Gatwick UK is done by Stanley Robotics from France (which was acquired by HL Robotics from South Korea in 2024), but it could be similar.

Re: London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service

#209

Post by znkynz »

matthewpick wrote: post #44

You could pack the cars so close together that no one could get into them. Could be seen as a bit of a theft deterrent, although I’m sure the car park itself is pretty secure.

That's the value change right? You can park more densely as no one needs to get in our out of the vehicle.
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