Oman Set For Asia's First Robotic Valet Parking Service

Omani drivers sick of entrusting their cars to valets can now rest assured; robots have come to the rescue – and they may soon be invading a car park near you.

The system has been installed at a garage in Azaiba – a suburb of the Omani capital of Muscat – and has capacity to store 104 cars on steel pallets. All drivers have to do is park on the pallet and leave.

The robotic system then slides the car off to an allotted slot where it is safe from other swinging car doors, dents and, in the case of manual cars, valets unfamiliar with the third pedal.

The retrieval system takes 120 seconds from the moment the owner swipes his card.

The system has been so popular that Anil Cherian, general manager of IPARK – the company behind the robotic valet service, says they’re speaking with other businesses in Oman and in the UAE over larger sites.

“Customers have now realised that car parking is the need of the hour, and keeping that in mind, we are now designing many projects for more than 2,000 car parking spaces in Oman and United Arab Emirates,” he said.