WRC Rally Estonia 2022 Breakthrough : Showcasing Self-Driving Shuttles and Teleoperations

Auve Tech self-driving shuttle on stage at WRC Rally Estonia 2022, demonstrating autonomous driving and teleoperation technology.

At WRC Rally Estonia 2022, Auve Tech deployed two self-driving shuttles, showcasing their teleoperation capabilities for the third consecutive year. Despite challenging weather conditions, the shuttles navigated a 300-meter route across the Kaarsild bridge and demonstrated seamless real-time teleoperations to event attendees. The project aimed to increase public awareness of autonomous transportation and explore the potential for these technologies to enhance event logistics.

WRC Rally Estonia is an internationally recognized motorsport event attracting thousands of visitors annually. Auve Tech has been participating since 2020, using the event as a platform to highlight the innovative capabilities of their self-driving Iseauto shuttles. This year, the focus was on expanding public awareness of autonomous transport and demonstrating teleoperation in challenging weather conditions.

Two men preparing to board an Auve Tech self-driving shuttle with WRC Rally Estonia branding.

Operational environment

Once again we had a special guest on the board of autonomous Iseauto – 5MIINUST. The artists took a ride to WRC Rally Estonia main stage. Auve Tech’s self-driving shuttle definitely caught some attention and had its time to shine when our cooperation partner Solaride accompanied us on the main stage so that the companies could be introduced to the audience.

The primary challenge for Auve Tech was ensuring the reliability and safety of the shuttles while navigating through a live, high-visibility environment. Additionally, the unpredictable weather, including rain that made the stage slippery, required Auve Tech’s teleoperation system to perform under pressure. Another challenge was maintaining public engagement and demonstrating the practicality of self-driving transport in real-time event settings.

Auve Tech self-driving shuttle on display at WRC Rally Estonia 2022 in Tartu town square, showcasing autonomous driving capabilities.

Project goals of our self-driving shuttle

Showcase the teleoperation capabilities of Iseauto self-driving shuttles in front of a live audience at WRC Rally Estonia.
Ensure safe and seamless operations, despite challenging weather conditions and a complex event environment.

Engage the public and increase awareness about the potential of autonomous transport.
Demonstrate the ability of self-driving Iseauto to operate independently on a 300-meter closed route, contributing to future scalability in event logistics.

Auve Tech deployed two Iseauto self-driving shuttles, integrating teleoperation to enhance their performance during the live event. The route, covering 300 meters across the Kaarsild bridge in Tartu, was specifically chosen to highlight the autonomous shuttles’ navigation capabilities.

The self-driving shuttles operated seamlessly despite the rain and slippery conditions on stage. A notable highlight of the event was the transportation of the popular music group 5MIINUST, who took a ride in Iseauto to the WRC Rally main stage.

Auve Tech self-driving shuttle greeted by spectators at WRC Rally Estonia 2022, showcasing autonomous technology in a real-world setting.

The implementation process began with route mapping and careful coordination to ensure safety. Auve Tech worked closely with event organizers to close the 300-meter route and minimize any potential disruptions. During the event, Auve Tech’s teleoperators monitored the shuttles, adjusting to real-time conditions such as crowd movements and weather. The successful execution was marked by smooth operations and high public engagement.

The Iseauto shuttles completed their scheduled routes across the Kaarsild bridge without interruptions.

The shuttles successfully demonstrated the practicality of teleoperation during live events.

Attendees expressed high interest in the technology, with positive feedback particularly focused on the seamless ride and its future potential in large-scale events.

5MIINUST’s journey in the autonomous shuttle created additional visibility and excitement for the public.

Auve Tech self-driving shuttle on display at WRC Rally Estonia 2022, surrounded by spectators interested in autonomous technology.

Challenges tackled

During the first teleoperations from Atlantis to the venue, there were many trees and it could’ve caused unclear visibility for the LiDARS. Luckily Auve Tech has upgraded the software and this problem did not happen to us.

The event reinforced the reliability of Auve Tech’s teleoperation system, even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. However, the event also highlighted areas for improvement in optimizing real-time navigation through crowded spaces, ensuring the shuttles can adapt more efficiently to event environments with more dynamic elements.

The WRC Rally Estonia 2022 event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the strengths of Auve Tech’s autonomous shuttles and teleoperation capabilities. As autonomous technology continues to evolve, Auve Tech’s solutions have the potential to revolutionize event logistics and improve public transport solutions globally. Contact us (link hello emailile) to explore how autonomous solutions can enhance your events or transportation needs.

The second challenge was not technical but emotional. Since Iseauto was presented in Expo Area there was a lot of curiosity from everyone who saw the bus and our representatives did a wonderful job interacting with all of them. It was a big challenge to not be able to offer a ride to all of them because neither we nor WRC Estonia had an idea of how high the demand for rides would be. Hopefully, we can bring more joy next year.

The most memorable person was an 8-year-old girl who had a lot of technical questions. After our representative explained the technology and our vision, she said she will buy one of our buses because of how cute they are and we are happy to have such promising interest for the future.

For more information, reach out to us at hello@auve.tech

Learn more about our latest 2nd generation autonomous shuttle, MiCa, and how it’s redefining public transportation.