STEER Tech, an autonomous vehicle technology company, has received 1.5 million USD in funding to develop a testbed for an automated parking system at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Throughout the project, STEER Tech will integrate its existing technology into a live autonomous ecosystem, consisting of three subsystems: low-speed vehicle automation for automated valet parking, supervisory parking management for autonomous vehicles, and active digital curb management.
The system will monitor and control the autonomous traffic to optimise curb space at DFW’s drop-off and pick-up areas, while allowing the autonomous vehicles to park themselves within a dedicated AV parking zone once they have dropped off passengers.
These interconnected subsystems aim to combat the congested curbside areas at DFW, which are becoming overused due to the rise of air travel and the increased popularity of ride-hailing services.
Anuja Sonalker, CEO of STEER Tech, said:Auto-valet services create a win-win scenario for travellers, employees, airport operations, and sustainability when effectively coordinated with a curb management process. For DFW and other airports to maximize the benefits of auto-valet services, the automated technology must be integrated with a curbside management system such as the one this demonstration will use.
STEER Tech and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport anticipate that the automated vehicle ecosystem will improve the experience for passengers arriving by car rather than public transit, increase parking capacity, and allow for more effective traffic management.
The funding for the project was awarded under the North Central Texas Council of Governments Automated Vehicles Program.
