Chamberlain Group (CGI), which produces Chamberlain and LiftMaster garage door openers and myQ smart technology, is partnering with Steer Tech, developers of autonomous parking technology, to provide a driverless valet service for homeowners. By integrating CGI’s myQ Auto solution and Steer’s autonomous parking technology, from Q1 2020, homeowners with a myQ smart garage will have self-parking and auto-summon capabilities for their vehicles.
Designed to save time, reduce frustration and create a seamless transportation experience, Steer’s aftermarket, full-service platform is said to provide an autonomous parking solution that enables drivers to safely park or summon their car using the Steer app on their smartphone. Through integrated myQ Auto technology and the myQ Intelligent Door State, the Steer app is able to share real-time garage door status data for driverless cars, enabling the vehicle to understand whether the homeowner’s garage door is open or closed, and therefore park itself.
Additionally, understanding the state of the garage door mitigates the risk of remote-starting and summoning a driverless car when the garage door is still closed. When closed, the myQ Safe Remote Start feature sends an automatic alert to the car owner through the Steer app letting them know it is unsafe to start the car and prompts the owner to open the garage door. This feature provides an added safety check against hazardous carbon monoxide conditions in the garage as well as other potentially dangerous situations.
Steer’s ability to safely park in tight, otherwise inaccessible spaces, combined with myQ’s hands-off garage access enables homeowners to maximize limited garage space. With Steer’s autonomous park and summon features, homeowners no longer have to worry about having enough space to get in and out of the car while inside the garage. Instead, they can exit their car outside of the garage when they arrive home and send the car into their garage to park or have the car waiting for them in the driveway when they leave.
“The big-picture vision is for consumers to not have to think about putting away their cars when they get home,” said Anuja Sonalker founder and CEO of Steer Tech. “Consumers can experience how easy it can be to transition to their next activity and focus on the things that bring them joy. Working with innovative solutions like myQ Auto provides an even richer, more secure experience for our users by allowing them to safely summon their car from a garage and have control over the largest access point in their home.”
“We are excited to work with Steer to make the journey from car to home even more effortless and secure for the driver,” added Jim Trainor, vice president and general manager, Automotive, at CGI. “As vehicle automation and connectivity continues to evolve, self-parking and the myQ Auto integrated Steer app is just the beginning of this technology’s capabilities.”