Recent technological developments and advancements in automobile transportation have been making big headlines and big money (i.e., ride-hailing, car-sharing, autonomous, and assisted/automated driving). However, there is another paradigm with equal, if not  even greater potential than these already recognizable game-changers. This current document aims to introduce Tele-Driving (Remote/Tele-Operated Vehicle Control) as an innovative concept-solution to many still unanswered challenges in the driving domain. For the reasons highlighted below and detailed within, Tele-Driving deserves more of our attention, investment, research and development than presently being given. Whether framed as disruptive potential, competitive edge and/or complimentary benefits, the following points converge towards significant gains in the very near or immediate future.

 

Key Take-Aways:

 

• Beyond ride-hailing or car-sharing

  • People already have and are used to having their own vehicle

    • Includes all the things people carry/store with them

    • Privacy – no co-location with a stranger

  • Makes use of existing vehicles already with the consumer

    • Zero wait times by removing dispatch dependency

    • Reduce “extra” trip costs (fuel) / risks (exposure)

  • Distributed driver could always exploit an optimal circadian phase

  • Re-employ professional drivers (taxi, truckers, etc.) with years of experience/expertise in a more accommodating work environment

  • New employment opportunities for paid drivers without barring entry costs of owning/maintaining a work vehicle or fleet.

 

• Beyond autonomous driving

  • Human judgment is more flexible than machine logic   

  • Humans retain ethics/responsibility without direct programming

  • No advanced driving decision algorithms required (e.g., SLAM)

 

• Beyond assisted/automated driving

  • Contracted hires are expected to be safer drivers than those who would rather be doing something else

  • No sophisticated on board sensors required (e.g., RADAR, LIDAR)