Redefining Safety in Autonomous Vehicle Through Remote Teleoperation

With the rapid development in autonomous vehicles and companies competing to be the first, the question comes whether one can even rely on a “computer on wheels”. A simple communication or control failure can lead to life-threatening accidents. The autonomous control system must be able to take the right action within a limited time to abstain from any mishap. This paper aims to propose a more secure and reliable solution during edge conditions where the driver’s role becomes a necessity. Teleoperation or remote operation could be implemented where remote operators sitting miles away at control centers take control and monitor multiple cars simultaneously. Control centers built at premium locations must be equipped with control units similar to the control unit in the car. These centers must be equipped with basic car hardware, such as steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, and additional LED screens for monitoring purposes. It brings to life a virtual “man-in-the-loop” concept with real drivers who are trained to assist the systems, taking control via direct teleoperation and manually driving the cars. AV components such as GPS systems, cameras and sensors including radars, LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors provide basic input required for the car to operate. This input will be transmitted to these centers using networks, and the operator will then take control. Even though teleoperation shifts the concept of autonomy back to humans, it helps in the development of automated systems as their algorithms get smarter on how to deal with edge conditions by learning from the user-directed manipulation.