Fetch launches remote-controlled driverless car hire service in Milton Keynes

Following 18 months of testing on the streets of Milton Keynes, British startup Imperium Drive has launched its Fetch on-demand car-hailing service using remote-controlled driverless vehicles.

The electric powered vehicles are remotely operated by an operator in a control centre.

“It’s driverless but not autonomous - yet,” says Koosha Kaveh, chief executive of Imperium Drive. “There’s still a human involved, but they’re sitting in a control centre piloting the vehicle in the same way you would a drone.”

There are currently only four cars in the fleet, operating within a four-mile radius of central Milton Keynes.

Customers can order a car through the Fetch app and wait for it to be delivered to them. They then take the wheel and drive it to their destination. Once they are finished, the vehicle is driven back to its base or to the next user by the remote operator.

The remote driver has a 360-degree view of the road, using cameras on the car as well as computer imaging which detects onjects nearby.

“When fully autonomous, we think this system has the potential to replace private car ownership in the UK,” Kaveh said. “Why pay all the costs of having a car on your drive when you can just pay for one to arrive when you need it?”

Imperium Drive plans to expand Fetch to more regional hubs, with a focus on airport transfers and other areas.

The company also hopes to transition to fully autonomous car deliveries in the next five years.