For all the talk of cars without drivers, the deployment of autonomous vehicles might still require humans controlling them from a distance. Most major AV companies are testing or planning to incorporate remote control — or teleoperations — in their robot-driven cars.
The big picture: Automated vehicles need help making decisions in complex situations, which is why the hype about fully self-driving cars remains unfulfilled. With humans taking the wheel via remote control, some companies hope to speed AV deployment, but questions remain about safety.
What's happening: Most AV companies plan to use teleops to some degree, including GM Cruise, Toyota, Zoox and Nissan.
- At Waymo, which launched its commercial robotaxi service earlier this year, if a car is unsure about what to do, it can ping a human for advice (or default to a safe action).
- Phantom Auto's remote technology can be applied by any automaker.
- California approved driverless testing without backup drivers, but only if the vehicles can be operated remotely.
- Starsky Robotics today filed its Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment with the federal government, outlining how it plans to use remote control drivers to deploy automated trucks for long-haul shipping.
Details: Starsky's system — currently operating in three trucks — allows trained drivers to sit in an office and control a truck using computer screens, buttons, a steering wheel and pedals.
- Drivers can remotely drive a truck from a distribution center to a highway, where automation takes over. At that point, the driver is only supervising the truck to help with complex, context-based decisions.
- When the truck exits the highway, the remote driver regains control to steer the truck to its final destination.
Why it matters: Teleoperation could help alleviate a labor shortage, currently pegged at 63,000 truck drivers, says Seltz-Axmacher. The American Trucking Associations warns that could worsen to 175,000 by 2026.
- Starsky Robotics envisions 1 driver guiding 30-40 trucks in an eight-hour shift.
- The company says driving from behind a desk is less taxing than the typical long monotonous stretches on the road.
Yes, but: It's hard to imagine a remote driver hundreds of miles away can make a quick judgment by dropping in on a complex situation. In most cases, the AV will simply stop and wait for further instruction.
- Another concern is that teleoperation relies on ordinary cellular networks that, if delayed, could prevent a remote operator from making a quick decision at a critical time.
- Safety groups say that it's too much like a video game, with human lives at stake.
The bottom line: The vision of self-driving cars might still include human drivers, even when they're not in the vehicle.
Go deeper: The great auto disruption
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify how Waymo's robotaxis interact with humans.
