You’ll see the ACU in use quickly. It will power Apollo Valet Parking, a team-up with WM Motor that will automatically pick you up and otherwise streamline valet service without requiring drivers. It’s due to launch in the second half of 2020 and could be helpful during a pandemic, when you probably don’t want other people touching your car.

The firm isn’t the only one working on self-driving computers. NVIDIA is quickly landing deals with GM, Toyota and others that could make it a powerhouse, for instance. However, Baidu might be the first to put a platform into real-world (albeit limited) use. That, in turn, could spur competition and increase the chances you’ll experience driverless cars first-hand.

It works like a kind of automated valet service. When Mercedes-Benz autonomous vehicles arrive at the garage, the driver will step out and direct the car to park itself via an app. Bosch sensors installed throughout the garage will give the vehicle the info it needs to navigate its surroundings. When the driver returns, the car will drive itself back to the drop-off location.

The system has been in development since 2015, and in the summer of 2017, the Mercedes-Benz Museum hosted a pilot of the program. Since 2018, visitors have been able to use this feature, but only with a safety driver riding along. Today, Daimler and Bosch announced they’ve received approval from the local authorities. The approval will allow the companies to fully launch the technology, and they hope it might inform testing and approval processes for future autonomous vehicle programs.