Parallel parking problem

Short description: Robotics and planning computational problem

Animation of a car parallel parking, turning only its front wheels

The parallel parking problem is a motion planning problem in control theory and mechanics to determine the path a car must take to parallel park into a parking space. The front wheels of a car are permitted to turn, but the rear wheels must stay aligned. When a car is initially adjacent to a parking space, to move into the space it would need to move in a direction perpendicular to the allowed path of motion of the rear wheels. The admissible motions of the car in its configuration space are an example of a nonholonomic system.

See also

• Automatic parking
• Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics
• Falling cat problem
• Moving sofa problem

References

• Batterman, R (2003), "Falling cats, parallel parking, and polarized light", Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (4): 527–557, doi:10.1016/s1355-2198(03)00062-5, Bibcode: 2003SHPMP..34..527B, https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/794/1/falling-cats.pdf .
• Reeds, J.A.; Shepp, L.A. (1990), "Optimal paths for a car that goes both forwards and backwards", Pacific Journal of Mathematics 145 (2): 367–393, doi:10.2140/pjm.1990.145.367, https://projecteuclid.org/journals/pacific-journal-of-mathematics/volume-145/issue-2/Optimal-paths-for-a-car-that-goes-both-forwards-and/pjm/1102645450.pdf .