A robot parking app will hold your spot this Black Friday

Here's a potential timesaver this Black Friday: a smartphone app that will deploy a robot to hold a parking space for you at the mall.

Details: MyPark is a Miami-based parking reservation service that, per Forbes, deploys mobile space blockers to hold spots for customers willing to pay a few dollars for the convenience.

• The app triggers a pop-up rectangle that blocks other cars from parking in the reserved space.
• When the rightful renter arrives, it folds down flat so they can drive over it.
• The startup has deals with some of the country's biggest mall operators, including Simon Property Group and the Mall of America.
• Its spaces are close to the mall entrances, making the reservation service doubly attractive.

My thought bubble: Parking is a pain, especially during the holidays. If you can use technology to save your spot, you won't have to push your kid out of the car to stand there while you circle back around. And you don't have to tip the valet, either.

Go deeper:

• How self-driving cars will help solve America’s parking problem
• How much is that robot in the window?
• Self-driving cars are years off, but parking garages can be ready now