Robotic parking device and handling method

A robotic parking system comprising:

• a frame work structure;
• a plurality of vehicle holding containers, the containers being disposed in stacks within the frame work structure, the frame work structure having a series of substantially vertical uprights;
• a substantially horizontal grid mounted on the vertical uprights and including two substantially perpendicular sets of rails on which at least one load handling device is operable, the load handling device having a body mounted on wheels, a first set of the wheels being arranged to engage with at least two rails of the first set of rails, a second set of the wheels being arranged to engage with at least two rails of the second set of rails, the first set of wheels being independently moveable and driveable with respect to the second set of wheels such that when in motion only one set of wheels is engaged with the grid at any one time thereby enabling movement of the load handling device along the rails to any point on the grid by driving only the set of wheels engaged with the rails in which the containers include a vehicle carrying platform and column supports, the column supports being positioned and sized such that each container supports a container immediately above in the stack;
• and
• a control system configured to identify a vehicle to be parked, associate a vehicle with a container, and locate the container within the stack to enable a load handling device to retrieve a given container on demand.