BEST PRACTICE
PUBLICATIONS
AVSC Best Practice for ADS Remote Assistance Use Case
AVSC-I-04-2023
RATIONALE & INTRODUCTION:
Automated driving system-dedicated vehicles (ADS-DVs) can handle a wide variety of circumstances they might encounter on the road. When circumstances are encountered that exceed ADS design capabilities, the ADS is designed to bring the vehicle into a minimal risk condition (MRC). When an ADS-DV encounters these conditions—identified as “triggers” within this best practice—they can request remote assistance (RA) from a remotely located human operator. RA involves the provision of guidance, suggestions, or recommendations to a vehicle from a remote location, without direct control of the vehicle. RA has emerged as a useful tool in supporting the operation of an ADS. It can complement the capabilities of ADS-DVs and improve overall system performance and utilization, particularly in situations that exceed ADS design capabilities.
This best practice provides guidelines for integrating remote assistance within the context of ADS. It describes the distinct functions and tasks of RA, aims to clear the confusion between remote assistance and remote driving, and makes suggestions on training to be considered. In addition, this document presents a high-level process of implementing RA, gives examples of triggers that may prompt RA when ADS design capabilities have been exceeded, and illustrates a non-exhaustive list of possible data elements that may be used to provide assistance to the ADS.
By having a clear understanding of the nature, function, and scope of the RA, ADS developers and operators can help to ensure that RA is safer, more reliable, and more effective in ADS-equipped vehicles.
RATIONALE & INTRODUCTION:
Automated driving system-dedicated vehicles (ADS-DVs) can handle a wide variety of circumstances they might encounter on the road. When circumstances are encountered that exceed ADS design capabilities, the ADS is designed to bring the vehicle into a minimal risk condition (MRC). When an ADS-DV encounters these conditions—identified as “triggers” within this best practice—they can request remote assistance (RA) from a remotely located human operator. RA involves the provision of guidance, suggestions, or recommendations to a vehicle from a remote location, without direct control of the vehicle. RA has emerged as a useful tool in supporting the operation of an ADS. It can complement the capabilities of ADS-DVs and improve overall system performance and utilization, particularly in situations that exceed ADS design capabilities.
ADS development introduces new opportunities for improving efficiency, safety, and sustainability in transportation systems. However, ADS may benefit from ad-hoc operational support to effectively handle scenarios that exceed ADS design capabilities (e.g., maneuvering through exceptionally complex or novel driving scenarios). RA is one approach that can help to address the challenges for operating ADS in such scenarios. The ability to provide timely remote support to vehicles can help overcome some situational challenges for the ADS to continue the trip, such as handling ambiguous scenarios.
SCOPE:
This best practice offers a set of guidelines to help in developing functionalities for RA in SAE level 4 and level 5 ADS-DVs, as applicable. The scope of the document includes defining the event types that could trigger RA, such as maneuvering through exceptionally complex or novel driving scenarios.
This document does not include logical reasoning for onboard modules or the real-time safety-critical decision-making required for remote driving of the ADS. The guidance provided here is designed to be vehicle, ADS architecture, and commercial use-case agnostic so that the guidelines can be applied to different ADS-DVs, regardless of their make or model. This best practice focuses on situations where RA can enhance or complement the existing ADS system features through a range of supportive and supplementary actions. In addition, it provides a broad categorization of tasks involved, as well as the triggering events that could initiate an RA session.
The scope of this best practice focuses on RA for ADSs only, and it excludes remote driving, dispatching, and customer support to occupants or other road users.
