GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The world’s first teleoperated e-scooter to operate on public streets can be seen at the Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners.
The city is working with Tortoise and Go X to offer the e-scooter. The scooter uses remote teleoperators to reposition itself back to a safe parking spot. It also can respond to a call (using the company’s app) and drive to a customer’s door.
Peachtree Corners officials say the new technology solves two issues that have plagued the scooter industry: 1) Finding a scooter – and 2) Returning scooters to a home base for safe parking, charging and cleaning.
The e-scooters will operate in the city’s Technology Park Atlanta, and be available for use by the general public. The scooters can be seen on the city’s new 1.5-mile autonomous vehicle test track that runs alongside lanes used by the motoring public as well as other streets in Tech Park.
“We are excited to showcase this innovative technology,” said Mayor Mike Mason. “It’s another opportunity for the city to look beyond traditional transportation and seek innovative ways to improve mobility. We invite our citizens and the business community to see and experience this new technology.”
The initial pilot will run for six months and marks the first time ever that teleoperated e-scooters are deployed on public streets.
This is not the first time that the city has been the site of innovative transportation technologies. Last fall, Olli, the self-driving shuttle designed and built by Local Motors, began operating along the city’s 1.5-mile autonomous vehicle track.
This latest venture into teleoperated e-scooters is part of the city’s drive to further expand its “smart city” technologies.
“An important goal for us was to ensure that residents can enjoy the convenience of using e-scooters, right here in Peachtree Corners,” said City Manager Brian Johnson. “As a reflection of our commitment to making cities smarter, we didn’t hesitate to partner with Tortoise to launch the first-ever fleet of self-driving e-scooters for public use. We are extremely pleased to be a partner in this innovative and world-changing technology.”
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