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Parallel parking problem

Robotics and planning computational problem

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated February 23, 2026
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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.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Parallel parking problem”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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