Could Uber become a work-from-home job?
One involves a middle ground between self-driving cars and traditional driving that could increase logistical flexibility for customers.
German automaker BMWallowedCES 2024 attendees to demo a system for remotely driving vehicles.
The companypositionsthe technology as a tele-operated valet parking system, but other uses could emerge.
Customers would first park their cars in a pre-defined area.
Pressing a button in a mobile app then signals a remote valet to take control.
The owner can use the app again to tell the valet to retrieve the car when ready to leave.
The CES demo controlled the vehicles from nearby, but BMW claims the system could work at greater distances.
Long-distance operations could increase the number of available valets at any given time.
One advantage of the concept is that it’s entirely based on existing technology.
The remote rig connects to an array of cameras on the vehicle and only requires a solid wireless signal.
The sensors, precise road infrastructure, and other materials associated with fully autonomous cars are unnecessary.
However, some steps in the remote valet process involve self-driving functionality.
For example, the system can automatically park a car after the driver approaches a parking space.
Imagine Uber driving becoming a remote job.
