What does vehicle APA mean?

[ClaraFitz]

Vehicle APA stands for Auto Parking Assist (APA). It utilizes onboard sensors, typically ultrasonic radars or cameras, to identify available parking spaces and controls the vehicle's parking maneuvers through a control unit. The advantage of vehicle APA is that it enhances parking convenience to some extent, especially for drivers who lack parking confidence or experience parking anxiety. It enables single-attempt parking, eliminating the need for multiple steering adjustments. While automatic parking can free the driver's hands, it has a significant drawback: insufficient accuracy in automatic space recognition. The system primarily relies on multiple sensing radars to determine distances from obstacles. If obstacles are suspended mid-air or too low in height, the sensors may fail to detect them, potentially leading to frictional contact or collisions. APA represents first-generation automatic parking technology, requiring driver assistance inside the vehicle to complete parking. In contrast, AVP (Automated Valet Parking), as fourth-generation technology, enables remote operation from within 500 meters - allowing the vehicle to autonomously locate parking spaces and park, then return to a driver-specified location when needed.