Another UK self-driving 1st: Project Encode demonstrates transfer of control between manual, autonomous and teleoperation
In another UK self-driving first, Project Encode recently demonstrated transfer of control across three states – manual driving, autonomous driving and teleoperation – in live vehicle tests in Oxford and London.
Backed by the DfT’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) – like CAVForth – and Innovate UK, partners in the project included technology specialist StreetDrone, IoT security company Angoka, Coventry University and Oxfordshire County Council.
Manual to self-driving to remote operation
The aim was to illustrate how automation can be progressively introduced into industrial settings, with autonomous systems managing the more straightforward vehicle operations and remote drivers stepping in to handle more complex tasks as necessary.
The consortium says this proof of concept – delivering transferable responsibility for vehicle control in a cyber-secure context – is central to advancing the application of driverless and teleoperated vehicles across logistics networks.
Official comments
StreetDrone CEO, Mike Potts, said: “The success of this trial, conducted not in a controlled environment but out on the public highway, is blending autonomous technologies with teleoperation to prove an advanced level of technology readiness that can deliver much-needed efficiencies into the supply chain.
“Where tasks are too complex for autonomous technologies, teleoperations steps in. This integration provides a ‘ready-now’ solution and it has been a sight to behold.”
Dr Giedre Sabaliauskaite, Associate Professor at Coventry University’s Systems Security Group, part of the Centre for Future Transport and Cities (CFTC), added: “It is very important security assurance processes are addressed through the design and engineering cycle.
“This demonstration through the Encode project offers an opportunity to establish a rigorous assurance cycle, ultimately for wider public acceptance.”
