Courtesy BMW

A smartwatch activating the Remote Valet Parking Assistant

Adding to the ever-expanding list of things a smartwatch might one day do, BMW is testing a smartwatch that could double as a valet.

The BMW i3 features four advanced laser scanners that record the environment around the vehicle and offer the “possibility of entirely collision-free driving.” 

With the Remote Valet Parking Assistant, and app that would live on a smartwatch, the driver could summon his or her car with a push of a button, and the car would use its laser scanners and maps to arrive at the driver’s location. 

In a press release, BMW detailed how it has been testing the technology: The car is uploaded with the design of a parking garage. The car drops the driver off at the entrance, then proceeds to park itself using the map and the sensors. Later, when the driver activates the Remote Valet Parking Assistant, the car reverses its journey from parking space back to driver. 

The car will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. 

JCK