The Remote-Control Vay Car

Vay, a German startup launches the first remote-teledriving car service in Las Vegas, where human drivers can drive remotely from miles away.

Remotely Human Drive

Vay are electric cars, unlike autonomous vehicles that rely on drivers, like physically human drivers to take control. Here Vay is different, it stands out in its rental service. The same concept as requesting a taxi service but without a driver being involved in the process.

Customers can order the electric car through the Vay app to pick-up the customer from a certain location. So here the teledriver concept is born, where she/he can take over once you step over the car, with a 0.3$ per minute charge for the customer. Afterwards, the customer is dropped off, the tele driver will take the helm again.

“Customers get access to a unique service that promises peace of mind: Your fully electric car is delivered within a few minutes. There is no need to search for a vehicle or parking spot and it is an affordable alternative to car sharing and existing door-to-door solutions,” Vay stated.

Humanity and Technology Unite!

Does anyone recall GTA? The Grand Theft Auto online video game, where we gamers used to immerse ourselves in the complete driving experience, transforming into virtual drivers with the whole kit! The beginner gamers’ dream back then came true! In this case, it’s actually driving on real roads in a genuine car, equipped with a steering wheel and three screens providing a clear view of the entire road. Additionally, the rear-view mirror is virtually displayed on top of the middle screen, enhancing the driving experience.

Everything is completely equipped with the necessities, the cameras, GPS, radar, ultrasound, and some sensors to mimic car surroundings like the traffic sounds, etc.

Despite that, the service saves time and is cost-efficient, and Vay understandably insists on it being safe thru undergoing its teledrivers training process under the Vay Teledrive Academy, it says: “The first company rule is “safety first,” the second rule is “safety first.” Vay develops its teledrive technology in order to fulfill applicable safety requirements and to provide customers a reliable mobility service.” But there are some safety concerns that may raise eyebrows on how accurate and clear is the remote view of the street and its elements delivered by the screens versus the real-time and the naked eye view physically on the streets?

But it seems that the future of Vay is flourishing; after over four years of testing the technology since Vay was founded in 2018, it grasped the attention to secure around $110 million from investors such as Patrick Pichette, the former Chief Financial Officer of Google, as well as Kinnevik AB and the venture capital firm Atomico.

“We see a decade or two of human-machine interaction where autonomous driving will play a part once it’s available and ready to deploy, and then the other part will always be done by a teledriver,”said CEO von der Ohe.

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