As part of the GATEway project our autonomous Toyota Prius has been demonstrating the ability to be remotely operated via a tele-operation service. The vehicle can be operated by an App by the driver standing nearby, or by a remote operator located somewhere else in the world.

The remote operation has the potential to revolutionize the experience of driving for many disabled and elderly drivers. Simply parking a vehicle can be challenging for a disabled driver because they require much more room to get in and out. This App allows them to get out of the vehicle and move the vehicle forward into a parking space which would be to tight for them to normally consider. Also, if the car park is set up and mapped then the disabled driver can simply press a “park” button on their App and the vehicle will autonomously park itself. If the car park is unknown to the vehicle, a remote operator can slowly drive the vehicle into a parking space for the disabled driver. More details available here: https://gateway-project.org.uk/gateway-demonstrates-how-teleoperation-and-autonomy-can-improve-mobility-for-disabled-drivers/