siliconindia | | December 201919The Driver Control Center has a simulated car kind of environment where the real-time Audio/Video from the Remote car is streamed on to the screens and speakers. The Driver has all the required controls like Steering, Brakes (or even gears), horn, indicators, headlights and access to speak to the passenger in the car or any traffic cop outside the car if required.A customer of this Taxi company uses a Mobile-App to book a cab like we do now with Uber or Ola and a nearby Remote-Driven Car is assigned and details are shared with the customer in the same way. At the Driver Control Center a driver is assigned this ride along with a car which was either parked somewhere near or just finished a ride. He takes the car to the location of the customer, customer gets in and the ride starts. They can communicate with each other for any guidance to destination or anything else.The Driver sitting in DCC is able to see the actual road and follow any manual traffic signals, can avoid potholes, temporary diversions or unexpected obstacles or weather related issues like water logging etc. Anyone honking from behind or side will be heard by him, he can use every gadget or indicators just as if he is in the car. Once destination is reached, the customer pays when the ride is concluded. The same car is assigned to another ride or parked at the nearest parking lot to wait for next ride or taken back to the garage for charging or refueling.This can provide all the benefits of self-driving cars that we discussed earlier and also add to them by being independent of the Artificial Intelligence getting more adapted to Indian scenario. Drivers can work by sitting at one place (a DCC near to their home) and work in their convenient shifts if required. Taxi companies can ensure uniformity of service than depend on the driver and his wish and will (like it happens now sometimes). Driving taxi can become a white-collared job as less physical strain is involved and continuous monitoring by supervisors and training them to be more professionals. May be few drivers might opt for an hourly job (as part-time opportunity) to add to their current earnings or even students pursuing higher education can earn their fees and expenses. Surely, this can create huge number of jobs and bring in a lot more traffic discipline in the country.As another example, if the car maker is selling a Remote-driven car along with a driving kit (say a portable kit which can be plugged to a TV or a computer which gives a small DCC facility) which can be installed at home or office. A customer buying such a car installs one at the home/office and can take control of his/her car remotely and start driving it whenever required to drop/pick his kids from school or drive parents or the disabled based on need, that too without stepping out from his/her office. Just imagine if the car makers make standardization of the DCC and start selling it as an accessory so that people who want to get certified and earn credibility can become work-from-home drivers and earn while sitting at home. Sounds like a mild science fiction but we are living in an era where driver assisted self-driving cars are already a reality and fully self-driving cars are very close, so a Remote-Driven Car can help India achieve the progress very soon.
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