Remote controlled car rental service

votsalo writes: A German company, Vay, offers a rental car service where the cars are driven by a remote driver to the customer, who then takes over driving the car. At the end of the rental, a remote driver takes over again to take the car away. The trained remote drivers sit in a driving station, with a steering wheel, foot pedals, screens, headphones, and even tactile feedback for things like bumps on the road.

Vay says the rental rate cost would be "about half of what a current car-sharing service costs". If he is talking about car-rental services that deliver cars to customers by on-site drivers, like this defunct San Francisco car rental company, then the claim about half the cost seems right.

Vay's founder used Las Vegas as a testing ground for the service, and expects to launch in Germany soon. Las Vegas had the necessary legal framework already in place.

\o/

[easyTree]

They could rig up some kind of car body around the driver to extend the scope of the tactile feedback devices so that when they run someone down, actuators in the local car body reproduce the sensation - or, you know - not drive a two ton piece of machinery whilst playing WoW.

Re:

[votsalo]

This would be my concern, which is probably why they don't advertise driving customers remotely too. How much do you trust someone to drive you remotely, if you cannot see them? I suppose they could be cameras that let you see the remote driver...

Remote-controlled trucks?

[votsalo]

Are we about to "see" truck drivers who drive their trucks remotely? Is this allowed anywhere? Trucks could be driven practically non-stop, by rotating remote drivers. Truck drivers would have a more comfortable ride, and no commuting to/from the truck.

I suppose the consequences of a truck crashing out of control are a lot more serious than a car crashing.