A car parking system that uses robots made its debut in the Capital last year to ease parking, and its first completed project is now operating.

Gitech Conveying Systems installed the automated car parking system at a new 18-storey residential building in Al Zahiya-Mina, one of Abu Dhabi’s most congested areas.

The system, said to be the first-of-its-kind in the capital, was completed on the Sheikha and Mariam Saeed Al Rumaithi building which is near the Ramada Hotel. And it has made parking easier for the residents and saves space for building owners. This robotic car parking is on three underground levels and has 85 spaces.

“We completed this automated car parking on the first building last year and it is running great. Residents there are happy,” said Fady Sokhon, general manager of Gitech Conveying Systems.

“The automated car park in three levels underground uses MP System, which is an advanced technology that uses robots,” said Sokhon.

Sokhon explained that a driver takes the vehicle into a loading bay and gets out of the car. He has to swipe an access card and then press a button after some safety questions like ‘Did you turn off your car? Did you take all your belongings from the car?’ are answered.

A lift then delivers the vehicle to the required floor, and a robot trolley takes it to its designated space.  “And when the driver needs the car again, she or he can request to retrieve it at a kiosk,” he said.

Sokhon said it’s the first operational automated car park in the capital. “This is so far our first project in Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” he said.

The Lebanese businessman noted that they are currently working on their second project on a new building located near Salam Street, which will be completed in three months.

The new project is on four underground levels with 188 parking spaces. “It will have two rotating lifts, one standard lift, seven trolleys and seven robots,” said Sokhon.

“We have seven other automated car parking projects in the pipeline.”

He noted that the automated car parking system is flexible and has an efficient use of space. “It saves time and takes only three minutes for both parking and retrieval.” According to Sokhon, the system is safer compared to the conventional parking accident free as robot parks the vehicles with mathematical precision.

The automated system can also have up to more than two times the number of parking spaces than a conventional multi-storey car park.

Each car space can cost between AED 40,000 and AED 50,000 for installation.

The Urban Planning Council in Abu Dhabi requires all new buildings to have parking integrated into structures.