The new long-distance drivers: In the office and 4,000 kilometers away

• T-Systems and Ottopia: solution for autonomous driving and logistics
• Sitting in Stuttgart, driving in Tel Aviv
• “Global Innovation Award” from the innovation platform “Startup Autobahn”

Remote control a car from 4,000 kilometers away: The driver sits in Stuttgart, the car is driven over a test track in Tel Aviv. The project by T-Systems and startup company Ottopia convinced the judges at the innovation platform "Startup Autobahn". The two companies accepted an award for innovation in Stuttgart.

Ottopia’s technology is the basis for very concrete applications: The long-distance driver moves trailer and swap body at the truck yard. Or he transfers a finished car from the end of the production line to the parking lot. Or he jumps in when autonomous taxis encounter irregular cases. And the new long-distance driver never even leaves his office. 

“Startup Autobahn” wants to bring companies together with startups to develop industrial innovations. "We chose Ottopia because it enables uninterrupted services even under difficult network conditions. For example, with the current public LTE networks in remote or poorly accessible locations. Or with many users in a single radio cell," explained Joachim Klink. He is responsible for Autonomous Driving and Integrated Mobility at T-Systems.

The partners are combining their competencies in the solution. Ottopia contributes its expertise in artificial intelligence that predicts networks behaviour and enables resilient video compression, and T-Systems its know-how in developing and operating services for networked vehicles. "We are proud to work with T-Systems," said Amit Rosenzweig, Founder and CEO of Ottopia, "because it brings unparalleled expertise in providing connectivity, networked vehicle solutions and mobility. We look forward to bringing a new offering to the market. It will not only save money but also save lives in many market segments."

The solution in detail

A central challenge for remote control, also known as “teleoperation”, is security and reliability under difficult network conditions. 5G will not be rolled out before the end of 2025. And current networks cannot always guarantee the bandwidth and latency for remote control of cars.

That's why Ottopia's technology uses artificial intelligence, among other things, to predict the quality of the mobile network in the next few seconds. Based on these forecasts, Ottopia constantly adjusts data rate and compression. The aim is to achieve the highest video quality with the least delay. This is important when transmitting a 360-degree video from a moving vehicle to a control center. Ottopia has applied multiple patents for its technology. The Israeli startup also builds and supplies safety algorithms. They can handle situations such as a sudden disconnection or unexpected dangers on the road. Finally, the on-board software ensures safety and protection under all conditions.

T-Systems integrates the core solution into the IT environment of car manufacturers or fleet operators. As a result, companies are already taking advantage of the benefits of the solution in the public LTE mobile communications network.

Please find photographs from the event here.

About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom at a glance
About T-Systems: T-Systems company profile
About Ottopia: Ottopia company profile