Patent Reveals Rivian's Plan Of Providing R1T With Driverless Transportation Tech

A new patent submitted by startup electric automaker Rivian, presumably for Rivian R1T pickup truck, aims to provide a safe travel experience without the need for anyone to operate the vehicle. This feature would allow the Rivian R1T to transport passengers not totally competent to drive a vehicle to their destination, even without the presence of a driver. Rivian calls this feature the Guardian Mode.

Rivian recently submitted a patent to the USPTO titled “Systems and Methods for Operating an Autonomous Vehicle in a Guardian Mode” in Jun. 11, 2019. The patent is about the creation of a new mode that would allow driverless journey in the Rivian R1T pickup truck for the entirety of the trip. Citing examples such as a child needing a ride home, the startup electric automaker notes that the development of autonomous vehicles are providing safe travels without someone having the direct control of the vehicle.

The Guardian Mode of Rivian R1T could be triggered with the user requesting a destination for the vehicle. The vehicle would subsequently ask the user if it would operate in a Regular Driving Mode with a driver or in Guardian Mode. After that, the vehicle would decide a route of travel based on the user’s preferred mode.

The Guardian Mode would provide the user with some freedom inside the vehicle. The user could freely control the radio, climate setting, close and open windows, adjust mirrors, and a lot more, without having to worry about driving of meeting an accident on the road. Guardian Mode could be enabled or disabled by the user via PIN or passcode that would activate or deactivate each of the settings.

Modem autonomous vehicle technology allows an autonomous vehicle to transport passengers between destinations without being directly controlled by a human driver. Consequently, it is now possible for an autonomous vehicle to transport a user who is not fully competent (e.g., a child user, a senior citizen user, or a mentally challenged user) without a fully competent user being present. However, in such a situation, a user who is not fully competent may misuse the capabilities of the autonomous vehicle while in transit. Such misuse may lead to undesirable situations (e.g., a child requesting to go to a wrong location), or even dangerous situations (e.g., a child opening a door while the car is still in motion, or a child unbuckling a seat belt). Consequently, what is needed is an autonomous vehicle with a mode of operation that is appropriate for transporting users who are not fully competent.

In Guardian Mode, the patent mentions that the vehicle would be connected to a smartphone or laptop to enable the communication between the user and the vehicle. But, it is worth mentioning that this patent is in no way an indication that this mode would be one of the features of the Rivian R1T. Often, companies file patents that do not see production and remain as patents.