Teleoperations Control Center
Teleoperation of Automated Vehicle Fleets
With increasing levels of automation in road traffic, teleoperation and remote assistance are becoming ever more important. Automated vehicles still reach their limits in complex or unexpected situations—such as construction zones, traffic blockages, or misinterpretations of the environment. In such cases, support by human operators from a teleoperation control center (TCC) is required.
For this reason, the Chair of Ergonomics operates a teleoperation control center simulator that realistically represents the operation and supervision of an entire fleet of automated vehicles. The aim is to investigate, in a holistic manner, the collaboration between different roles within the control center as well as the interaction between operators, vehicles, passengers, and other road users.
Concept and Setup of the TCC Simulator
The simulator connects several human-in-the-loop workstations within a shared virtual environment. Among others, the following roles are represented:
Two remote operators for Remote Assistance (RA) and Remote Driving (RD),
One dispatcher, responsible for monitoring, coordination, and communication in fleet operations.
The simulator workstation in the teleoperation control center for the remote assistance operator and the dispatcher is designed as a seven-screen setup. The visual displays are complemented by a keyboard, mouse, and touchscreen as input devices, as well as a headset with microphone for voice-based communication. The workstation for the remote driving operator is realized using a dynamic seat box, which is networked with the overall simulation setup (see lower image).
The three upper screens display the vehicle’s camera views, including rear-view mirror perspectives. Forward and rear views can be switched at the press of a button, with clear visual indicators minimizing the risk of confusion. This arrangement supports rapid perception of the surrounding environment and can be extended with interior camera views if required.
The lower screens present function-specific information: the left screen shows technical vehicle data such as sensor status, battery state, automation status, log entries, and weather information. The center screen displays a map and fleet overview, optimized in particular for monitoring multiple vehicles and supporting the dispatcher’s tasks. The right screen serves as the incident and communication management hub, including an incident list, prioritization, assignment of operators, and voice communication within the team.
A central element of the workstation is the touchscreen positioned in front of the operator, which provides an interactive 3D view of the selected vehicle and its surroundings. It is primarily used for remote assistance tasks, such as planning and executing maneuvers using waypoints. These waypoints can be intuitively placed, adjusted, and visualized before being transmitted to the vehicle.
Overall, the setup enables a realistic and ergonomically grounded investigation of work processes, interfaces, and decision-making in teleoperation control centers.
Research Potential
The TCC simulator provides the foundation for a new quality of research in the field of teleoperation and automated mobility. Key research topics include:
Work organization and role allocation within the control center,
Coordination and handovers between dispatchers and remote operators,
Supervision ratios (e.g., how many vehicles one person can monitor simultaneously),
Effects on operator workload, safety, traffic flow, and overall system efficiency.
The team-based simulation approach is particularly valuable, as it is the only way to realistically capture workflows, communication processes, and decision dynamics—also under stress, disruption, or overload scenarios. The insights gained are intended to support the design of future teleoperation workplaces that are ergonomic, acceptable, safe, and economically viable.