Elmo, the Estonian company behind the world’s first road-legal teledriving technology, has achieved a significant milestone in remote technology innovation. The Estonian Traffic Department has officially validated Elmo’s AI-powered autonomous braking system, enabling its teledrive technology to operate without a safety driver at higher speeds and without area restrictions.

“Our team is very happy with technological and regulatory progress we have made in the past year, which allows us now to focus on delivering our solutions to our clients. Our pipeline of clients includes multiple car-sharing operators, road safety, and military players in the EU, including Germany, with further potential expansion into the Middle East and the U.S,” said Enn Laansoo, Jr., CEO and co-founder of Elmo.

“Parallel to sales, we’re also advancing AI and machine learning upgrades to ensure an even safer teledriving experience, focusing on both functional safety and operational safety standards,” he added.

Since launching the first road-legal teledrive service in public car sharing in Estonia and Finland, Elmo has deployed its technology on public roads in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Helsinki, Zurich, Krakow, Los Angeles and soon on Ontario highways.

This extensive deployment makes Elmo the most widely tested and applied teledriving solution on the market. Elmo’s remotely controlled 4×4 vehicles are also in active use on the frontlines in Ukraine, supporting crucial operations in challenging conditions.

Elmo achieves record 2,500 km cross-border teledriving 

“This milestone underscores Elmo’s technological leadership in remote driving technology and strength of its technical resources, capable of efficiently developing road ready driverless AI powered solutions.” stated Ragnar Meitern, Managing Partner of Highgoal Capital, an early investor in Elmo and other fast growing tech companies in the mobility sector, including Bolt. “Their goal-oriented progress and operational experience position Elmo uniquely for large-scale expansion, making them an even more attractive deep-tech company in the transport sector.”

Elmo has further demonstrated cross-border teledriving with a record 2,500 km journey between teledriver in Croatia and e-car in Finland using 4G and 5G, in partnership with Nokia and Deutsche Telekom‘s Croatian operator Hravtski Telekom. This achievement highlights the potential of human-machine collaboration in long-distance remote vehicle control and operation.

Jürgo Vahtra, Head of the Estonian Traffic Department, praised Elmo’s systematic approach to safety, stating, “Elmo has balanced technology development with practical experience, making their progress safe and reliable. Their AI-driven SOS braking system, performed flawlessly in our tests, which was instrumental in granting approval for driverless high-speed operations.”

Elmo is actively seeking to expand its capabilities and build on its global footprint. The company is planning to enhance its European operations and is considering a launch to enter to Northern American market, potentially introducing technology licensing to car rental, road safety and military companies.

This latest approval not only sets the stage for Elmo’s next phase of growth but also presents a compelling opportunity for investors, clients, and cities interested in cutting-edge teledriving technology for a variety of use cases, including driverless taxis and affordable transportation options.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Elmo is the Estonian company behind the world’s first road-legal teledriving technology development that has been in operation in public car-sharing services since 2022. Additionally, technology is used in the road safety sector on TMA Truck.
• Elmo’s teledrivable cars started daily operations on public streets in two cities in Estonia and Helsinki, Finland, and have gathered valuable experience from public streets of Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Lithuania, the US and other countries.
• In July 2024 Elmoand the charging solution provider Elonroad announced the inauguration of the world’s first fully automatic charging station for teledriven cars, marking a significant milestone in sustainable transportation.

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