Tekcapital portfolio company Guident has achieved a first in the autonomous vehicle safety technology industry by successfully teleoperating a fully automated bus from over 1,200 miles away.
Guident Corp, in which Tekcapital has a 70% stake, partnered with ADASTEC to remotely control an SAE Level-4 autonomous electric bus operating on Michigan State University’s campus. The vehicle was controlled in near real-time from Guident’s Remote Monitor and Control Centre in Boca Raton, Florida.
This marks the first known instance of long-distance remote driving of a full-size automated bus in an operational transit setting.
“This successful deployment is a significant milestone for safe, scalable autonomous transit,” said Harald Braun, Chairman & CEO of Guident.
“Remote assistance isn’t just a feature, it’s essential for every self-driving vehicle program. By having skilled people support autonomous systems from anywhere, we can address the current limits of technology, quickly resolve unexpected issues, and make self-driving vehicles safer and more reliable for everyone.”
The development comes as Guident prepares for a proposed NASDAQ IPO.
Today’s announcement also follows several recent commercial updates from Guident, including the deployment of autonomous shuttles in West Palm Beach and entry to the robotics markets.
Guident’s technology
Guident’s partnership with ADASTEC specifically targets “edge cases” – scenarios where autonomous systems encounter situations beyond their programmed capabilities.
Level 4 autonomous vehicles can operate without human intervention within defined parameters, including specific geographic areas, road types, weather conditions, and speed ranges.
However, when these systems face unexpected circumstances, human intervention becomes necessary.
Guident’s Remote Monitor and Control Centre provides this crucial safety layer. The system enables human-in-the-loop teleoperation as a complement to ADASTEC’s automated driving platform, offering real-time monitoring, remote assistance, and direct remote control when required.
ADASTEC holds the distinction of being first in the United States to deploy a full-size automated bus on public roads in mixed traffic conditions at Michigan State University.