A new trial to test self-parking technology for connected cars is getting underway in the American city of Detroit.

Ford Motor Company has teamed up with technology firm Bosch and commercial property provider Bedrock to test whether vehicles can drive and park themselves. They say this is America’s first infrastructure-based solution for automated valet parking.

The connected Ford test vehicles operate in a highly automated fashion by vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with Bosch’s intelligent parking infrastructure. The infrastructure sensors recognise and localise the vehicle to guide its parking manoeuvre, including the ability to help avoid pedestrians and other hazards. If the infrastructure senses something in the vehicle’s path, it can stop the vehicle immediately.

When a driver arrives into the garage, they’ll leave the vehicle in a designated area and use a smartphone app to send the vehicle into an automated parking manoeuvre. Drivers will also use the app to request the return of the vehicle to the designated pick-up area.

The companies say this demonstration project will enable them to gain “valuable insights regarding user experience, vehicle design, parking structure design and application to expand the technology and its application.”