In collaboration with the University of Tartu, Clevon made it possible to remotely control a self-driving car from the university’s autonomous vehicles lab. This advancement follows a three-year partnership agreement between the University of Tartu’s Institute of Computer Science and Clevon, enabling remote operation of the lab’s test vehicle.
Tambet Matiisen, the technology lead at the Autonomous Vehicles Lab, emphasizes the importance of teleoperation capabilities. He explains, “Teleoperation is a crucial solution for today’s autonomous vehicles, allowing the car to essentially seek human assistance in unexpected traffic situations, such as during roadworks or in traffic jams.” Matiisen added that this feature enables self-driving cars to travel beyond mapped areas, for instance, taking a passenger directly to their front door instead of just the nearest bus stop.
Clevon underscores the significance of collaborating with the university, stating that the joint effort provides valuable feedback for the further development of their platform and the creation of new solutions that meet current and future transportation needs. Sander Sebastian Agur, CEO of Clevon, highlighted the company’s interest in contributing to science and potential studies focused on autonomy or remote control alongside exploring new developmental directions.
Matiisen believes the teleoperation solution warrants further investigation. He outlines plans to study teleoperators’ situational awareness: how well a person not physically in the car can perceive the actual traffic situation. Additionally, the team aims to test the solution’s cybersecurity, such as the ease with which a potential attacker could take control of the vehicle. Lastly, there is an interest in developing alternative control methods, including a possibility where the remote driver views the surroundings from a top-down perspective or through virtual reality glasses.
Clevon and the University of Tartu are confident that the three-year partnership will yield many fruitful projects in the field of autonomous vehicles.
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