Self-Driving Three-Wheelers Deliver Fast Food in Houston

Self-driving three-wheelers are taking to the streets of Houston, Texas, as tech company Faction ramps up testing its innovative autonomous vehicles.

The electric vehicles (EVs), based on three-wheeled motorcycles made by Oregon-based Arcimoto, use Faction’s proprietary DriveLink system plus TeleAssist remote monitoring to fulfill food orders for major outlets, including one of the city’s most prominent Chick-fil-A stores.

Bay Area-based Faction is so confident in the potential of its solution, which has been under development for the past couple of years, that it promises to “revolutionize curbside delivery operations” in the Texas city.

DriveLink is described by Faction as a digital vehicle platform that incorporates sensors, a powerful compute, thermal cameras and radar, plus drive-by-wire tech to deliver automated functionality on the company’s EVs.

It is backed up by TeleAssist, which sees dedicated remote operators provide real-time supervision on a screen at a control hub and make decisions for the vehicle as and when required.

In the early phase of testing, the EVs, which are just under 6.5 feet long and can reach 75 mph, are providing real-world curbside food deliveries across the Houston metropolitan area. 

According to Faction, this hands-on approach will allow it to gather feedback and data more quickly. It says the data will be instrumental in optimizing navigation algorithms and enhancing the overall efficiency of autonomous vehicle (AV) operations, potentially accelerating rollout.

Related:Driverless Three-Wheelers Ready to Hit the Road

One of the outlets participating in the pilot is a busy Chick-fil-A on Kirby Drive and the Southwest Freeway, where customers placing orders through an app are given the opportunity to specify what type of delivery they would prefer.

If they opt for curbside, a self-driving Faction EV will arrive outside their house within around half-an-hour, ready for customers to collect their food from the built-in storage compartments.

Currently, the EV will be accompanied by a human supervisor, but by August it is planned for the vehicles to operate without assistance.

The pilot is being facilitated by Faction’s tie-up with Verizon, which is providing mobile connectivity to allow monitoring and tracking of the vehicles.

Ain McKendrick, CEO of Faction, claimed the testing was a major step forward for both his company, and the city, saying: “We are thrilled to bring our self-driving technology to Houston and demonstrate the potential of autonomous vehicles to revolutionize urban transportation and delivery operations. 

“With Faction’s supervised autonomous solutions and strategic partnerships, we are poised to drive positive change and create a more sustainable, efficient, and accessible future for all."