(Credit: Alex Humphreys)
BARCELONA—Nokia and Elmo Remote demonstrated their teledriving technology at Mobile World Congress by letting us drive a real minivan located over 2,000 miles away in Helsinki, Finland, from the show floor in Spain. Nokia’s network handled the communication, while Elmo, an Estonia-based mobility company, developed the technology that translates movements from one location and transmits them almost instantaneously to another.
Remote Control
The local setup, which included a driver's chair and steering wheel, felt like being inside a car—just without the rest of the vehicle behind me. Two monitors served as side mirrors, while an ultra-wide screen acted as the windshield. The rear-view mirror was replicated as a second video feed on the screen. Instead of a gearshift, a customized Stream Deck let me change settings with the touch of a button.
(Credit: Alex Humphreys)A brake and gas pedal sat at my feet in Barcelona while an Elmo-powered minivan was parked in a sectioned-off lot in Helsinki with a human safety driver standing by. Another station displayed a live video feed of the van from an external angle to prove this was happening in real-time.
(Credit: Alex Humphreys)I was nervous when I switched the car into drive but quickly became reassured by how responsive the van felt. There was no noticeable latency. When I turned the wheel in Barcelona, the car turned in Helsinki. It felt as instantaneous as if I were actually sitting inside the van.
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(Credit: Alex Humphreys)Turns were a little tricky. Piles of snow acted as obstacles, and it didn’t help that I hadn’t driven a car in over five years. When I oversteered, the safety driver took over briefly before letting me try again. Eventually, I got more comfortable behind the wheel, and any initial worries about lag disappeared completely. At one point, I even maneuvered the car into a parking spot.
I even caught myself reflexively trying to look out of a window that didn’t exist—a testament to how immersive the experience was.
(Credit: Alex Humphreys)But this technology isn’t just for trade show demos. Elmo has deployed its teledriving system in Ukraine, where it is being used to transport ammunition to the front lines and evacuate injured people to safety. In these scenarios, lag, latency, and precision are critical, and Elmo’s technology has proven reliable enough for high-stakes operations.
The company is working to expand its teledriving capabilities into more industries and locations in the future. As the technology evolves, it could redefine remote-controlled transportation in ways we have yet to imagine.