You probably figured that parking valets would lose their jobs once all cars became autonomous. However, Hyundai's clever WIA Parking Robot can do the job with any vehicle, autonomous or not, with a maximum weight capacity of 2.2 tons. And it does it without even needing to start the vehicle.

The robots are flat platforms just 110mm (4.3") tall. They work in pairs, autonomously scooting beneath the target vehicle and deploying pairs of arms to lift the car from beneath the tires.

The 'bots can move omnidirectionally, making the most of crowded parking lots. They're equipped with both cameras and LiDAR and can move a 1.2 meters per second. Hyundai has developed a Smart Parking Control System that can run up to 50 of the robots all at the same time.

The system has been rolled out in Hyundai's Factorial Seongsu office building in Seoul, their Innovation Center in Singapore and their Metaplant America factory in Georgia. It appears their expansion plans will initially target facilities and larger organizations; human valets at smaller outfits can breathe easy, at least for now.

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