West Hollywood hires a robo-valet

West Hollywood, Calif.--where the valet guy can be just as much of a power broker as some big-shot producer--is going high-tech with its new parking garage.

The Southern California city has enlisted Israeli company Unitronics to build a 200-car garage on Santa Monica Boulevard that will automatically park and retrieve cars. Think RoboValet.

City officials say they hope to be able to put more cars into a smaller space, as well as cut down on emissions since cars won't drive to or from their parking spots, or sit idling at the cashier booth.

To use the structure, the driver pulls into a parking bay at the base of the garage, turns off the car and takes the keys with him. An ATM-like machine takes the driver's info and spits out a receipt.

In the parking bay, sensors detect the size of the vehicle. A carriage rolls under the car to move it onto a self-guided shuttle, which carries it to a parking slot.

Because the garage and parking spaces don't have to be designed to leave space for people, Unitronics says the cars can be stored closer together. That means the garage can hold more cars.

When it's time to leave, drivers can text or call ahead to have the garage retrieve their cars. But they don't have to tip.

Construction on the project is set to begin in 2012.

By Julie Alvin