Finding parking in crowded cities can be hard, so it's nice to know that the automotive experts at Audi is designing a fully automated self-parking system, which it demonstrated to great effect at CES 2013.
The system utilizes a collection of laser-assisted sensors throughout the parking garage which work in conjunction with existing software built into current model Audis. The garage-level sensors are a brilliant work around for the signal problems that standard GPS units encounter in hard concrete structures like the average parking garage. The demonstration features an Audi employee picking an open spot in the garage through an iPad app. Off goes the car to the chosen spot without any bumps or glitches.
It remains to be seen how many parking garages would be interested in adding the necessary sensors to make the system work, but perhaps this is the dawning of a standardized automated parking system of the future.