Parking your car can actually be quite strenuous. There is a lot of hand-eye coordination involved, and it can be quite a chore for a few people. Luckily, there is a way out. Certain car manufacturers have developed a system that can help your car park itself. Almost. But how does it work?
Most cars with a self-parking capability can't actually do it all themselves. These systems can locate a parallel (and in some cases a perpendicular or diagonal) parking spot upon activation by utilising proximity sensors on the front, side, and rear of the vehicle; often, the tech requires activating a turn signal to indicate what side of the road it should look for a space. Once the spot has been located and the driver has selected it and come to a stop, the vehicle will issue instructions to shift into the proper gear.
The automated aspect of things is the steering. Once the driver shifts into reverse, they will operate the gas and brake as the car steers itself into the parking space. (Some self-parking systems will handle acceleration and braking on your behalf.) The proximity sensors will issue an alert if the car is at risk of colliding with an obstacle, and if necessary, the car will ask that you shift back into drive to finish the parking manoeuvre. The vehicle will also provide steering assistance for leaving the spot.
Some cars can even go the extra mile by allowing you to pull the car into or out of a tight parking space via control on the key fob. This, however, is restricted to going forward and backward; you can't control the steering via the key fob.