German airport rolls out world’s first robot parking valet

Named Ray, the robot was put to work recently at Dusseldorf Airport and operates like a forklift, picking up cars and positioning them in one of the dedicated 249 spots reserved for the automated valets.

Dusseldorf Airport has rolled out what it's calling the world’s first robotic parking valet that spares time-crunched travelers from having to circle lots looking for a parking space.

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Named Ray, the robot was put to work recently and operates like a forklift, picking up cars and positioning them in one of the dedicated 249 spots reserved for the automated valets, reports Airport World.

The robot can carry standard cars weighing up to 3.31 tons.

To use, drivers leave their cars in the drop-off area and confirm via touchscreen ticket machine that the car is indeed empty and ready to go.
The smart system will then dispatch the forklift-like machine to carry the car to a designated parking spot. Ray also has access to the airport’s flight data system and readies the car for their owner’s arrival. Rates for the service are €29 a day.

Watch Ray in action at http://bit.ly/1lVSiTM.