COVID-19 has delayed some plans to deploy autonomous vehicles, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to one technology executive.
“The timeline has shifted when it comes to bringing autonomous vehicles to market. There’s a lot of development that happens in the background, though,” Manuela Papadopol, CEO of Designated Driver, said on this week’s episode of “Shift: A Podcast About Mobility.”
Designated Driver uses software to connect AVs to remote operators who can assist with negotiating unforeseen situations, such as collisions that close lanes and snarl traffic.
After years where many in the industry believed all AV operations needed to be confined on board, Papadopol said, more companies have more recently embraced teleoperations as a component of self-driving technology.
“It’s quite refreshing to see this, how companies are looking at putting more emphasis on safety and security and developing a solid autonomous system. When it’s time to bring it to market, they’re going to have a solid solution,” Papadopol said.
“It’s also refreshing to see some of the automotive companies, as well as technology companies, looking to teleoperations … as the safety net for their autonomy system.”