Don't be surprised if a human brain assumes the controls of your confused self-driving vehicle without a safety driver, says Phantom Auto.
California-based startup Phantom Auto is out with a new remote operator service that assists "confused" self-driving vehicles in navigating difficult situations, such as moving across construction zones and non-mapped areas with passengers in tow. So, basically, this is like the autonomous car tech Shuri came up with in Black Panther.
Using a cell phone signal, cameras, and audio, two-way communication between passengers and remote operator can occur until the vehicle travels safely to its destination.
Taking the Wheel
"Say you come to a construction site and you have a construction worker giving hand signals," said Elliot Katz, co-founder of Phantom Auto. "So, the vehicle may approach that construction site and just completely be paralyzed. At that point the vehicle itself would ping a Phantom Auto remote operator, the remote operator would be able to drive you through the construction site in the same way you could drive through a construction site today."
All of Phantom Auto's operators undergo an intense training regimen to learn how to control self-driving cars remotely. The company also claims that its systems are hack-proof, with the ability to "override a malicious hacker" due to its unique architecture.
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