Automotive
SAE consortium publishes safety and training guidelines for remote autonomous vehicle operators
The recommendations cover training topics, workstation design, and managing operator boredom, while suggesting that a physical driver's license may not be necessary.
The short version
- SAE International's Autonomous Vehicle Safety Consortium has released a guide outlining best practices for training remote operators of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles.
- The guidance covers essential curriculum areas, including local traffic laws, vehicle sensor suites, and simulator-based training.
- A key recommendation notes that remote assistants may not need a valid driver's license, though individual companies can still choose to require one.
Key facts
- The Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium at SAE International published the 'Best Practice for ADS Remote Assistance Training and Human Factors' to guide training for Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicle operators.[Car and Driver]
- Remote operators in these roles typically help autonomous vehicles get unstuck by choosing lanes or accepting paths, rather than directly steering the vehicle.[Car and Driver]
- The guidelines recommend that operators understand local rules of the road, the vehicle's specific autonomous driving system, and its sensor suites.[Car and Driver]
- The document suggests using wheel-and-pedal-free simulators for training and assessment, as well as providing regular retraining.[Car and Driver]
- According to the publication, remote operators do not strictly need a valid driver's license, though companies are free to require them and mandate clean driving records.[Car and Driver]
- The guidelines address human factors like cognitive underload and operator boredom, recommending that operators have a penalty-free way to request breaks.[Car and Driver]
What remains uncertain
- It remains up to individual autonomous vehicle companies to decide how to split responsibilities, such as whether remote operators will also handle customer service and communications with first responders.[Car and Driver]