---
title: "This Startup Pays Humans to Remotely Operate “Driverless” Cars"
description: "Designated Driver's teleoperations system allows a human driver to remotely control a self-driving car if it malfunctions or encounters a tricky situation."
date: "2019-03-28"
modified: "2019-03-28"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/teleoperations-startup-driverless-cars"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "Autonomous vehicles"
  - "Self-driving cars"
  - "teleoperations"
  - "the digest"
---

# This Startup Pays Humans to Remotely Operate “Driverless” Cars

![Designated Driver's teleoperations system allows a human driver to remotely control a self-driving car if it malfunctions or encounters a tricky situation.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/teleoperations-startup-self-driving-cars.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Designated Driver\</em\>*

## Take the Wheel

Even today's most advanced autonomous vehicles (AVs) can't navigate roads with the same ease as human drivers. Sure, they might do fine on a long stretch of highway, but the vehicles often [falter](<https://futurism.com/waymo-one-early-rider-autonomous-vehicle>) in the face of [inclement weather](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-17/self-driving-cars-still-can-t-handle-bad-weather>), [unpredictable pedestrians](<https://www.ibj.com/articles/70135-human-unpredictability-delays-progress-for-self-driving-car-interests>), or [even birds and shadows](<https://qz.com/1397504/all-the-things-that-still-baffle-self-driving-cars-starting-with-seagulls/>).

Now, Oregon-based startup Designated Driver has created a system, [according to *Wired*](<https://www.wired.com/story/designated-driver-teleoperations-self-driving-cars/>), that allows certified human drivers to take remote control of an AV if it malfunctions or encounters a tricky situation — meaning we might not have to wait for developers to perfect driverless technology before we can start riding in relatively safe AVs.

## Triple Threat

Designated Driver's teleoperations system comprises three parts, according to the [company's website](<https://designateddriver.ai/>).

The first is an in-vehicle hardware and software kit that attaches to the vehicle.

The second is a driver station hardware and software kit. This consists of a series of six screens that display feeds from the AV's cameras, as well as all the hardware a remote driver needs to control the vehicle, including a steering wheel.

The third is the certified teleoperators themselves, which Designated Driver can provide as a service.

## Healthy Competition

Right now, Designated Driver has just [one customer](<https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/designated-driver-launches-teleoperation-solution-announces-first-customer-300813814.html>) — robotics and autonomous tech supplier AutonomouStuff — but the company's CEO Manuela Papadopol and CTO Walter Sullivan told *Wired* it hopes to secure 20 percent of the teleoperations market in the next few years.

That might be a challenge considering the startup already has significant competition in the teleoperations space — everyone from [Waymo to General Motors to Uber](<https://www.wired.com/story/phantom-teleops/>) is working on their own systems.

But whether Designated Driver meets its market share goal or not, it's not hard to imagine [AV teleoperator](<https://www.automobilemag.com/news/autonomous-assistance/>) being one of the fastest growing occupations of the future.

**READ MORE:** [THE WAR TO REMOTELY CONTROL SELF-DRIVING CARS HEATS UP](<https://www.wired.com/story/designated-driver-teleoperations-self-driving-cars/>) \[*Wired*\]

**More on self-driving cars:** *[Exclusive: A Waymo One Rider’s Experiences Highlight Autonomous Rideshare’s Shortcomings](<https://futurism.com/waymo-one-early-rider-autonomous-vehicle>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)