Enhancing the quality of future mobility services through 5G research unique in Europe
- Self-driving vehicles can use 5G for remote driving and enhanced vehicular perception through the sharing of sensor data with other vehicles and the roadside infrastructure
- As 5G becomes ever more popular, researchers at WMG, University of Warwick, install Europe’s first over-the-air 5G New Radio test user equipment.
- The equipment will be used in connected autonomous vehicles on the Midlands Future Mobility testbed.
A future of self-driving vehicles enabled by the latest high-speed 5G mobile technology is to be investigated by the University of Warwick thanks to the installation of state of the art test equipment.
The first over-the-air 5G New Radio standard-compliant test user equipment (UE) in Europe has been homed at WMG, University of Warwick. The equipment will be put in Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) being tested on the Midlands Future Mobility (MFM) testbed on the University campus, to share sensor data with other vehicles and the roadside infrastructure. With the accelerating deployment of 5G functions on existing wireless telecommunication networks, the time is right to test the full potential of 5G independently. As the lead of the MFM testbed for CAVs, WMG, at the University of Warwick, has set enabling and performance testing of high throughput, low latency CAV use cases as one of their key research focusses.
Its use cases include remote driving and enhanced vehicular perception through the sharing of sensor data with other vehicles and the roadside infrastructure. Moreover, WMG also aims to enhance the quality of future mobility services by exploring how to seamlessly stream infotainment content for CAV passengers over a 5G link.
In this role, WMG have just installed Europe’s first 5G New Radio test UE that is fully compliant with Release 15 of the 5G technology standard developed by the 3GPP. It can emulate full UE operation and test real-time performance of 5G wireless connections to external base stations.
The mobile UE can be placed inside MFM vehicles on its 5G campus testbed, and payload data can be sent through 5G infrastructure into its further 5G network.
WMG and MFM are already engaged with a variety of industrial partners regarding connectivity, technology verification and validation, and the understanding and optimisation of user interaction with driverless technology. This new installation will further support their leading role in CAV development and testing, and help them accelerate the related product and service design and deployment.
Besides providing 5G automotive communication, this technology is, among others, also transferable to the manufacturing sector and supports Industry 4.0 use cases in which massive connectivity, high throughput and low latency mobile communication requirements exist as well.
A team of researchers led by Dr Matthew Higgins, Associate Professor at WMG, is now integrating this new technology component from NI into their current projects.
WMG’s Dr Matthew Higgins said:
“Crucial to our research strategy is the ability to understand and demonstrate the potential of 5G communications systems to our project partners early in their product development cycle. NI’s latest 5G test solution enables us to conduct standard-compliant, real-time 5G link performance tests inside both a controlled lab environment as well as outdoors in campus trials before commercial hardware is available.”
Dr Erik Kampert, HVM Catapult Senior Research Fellow added that:
“Being experienced users of state-of-the-art 5G communications equipment, this unique UE solution from NI facilitates us to expand our capabilities for CR&D work and collaborative project with CAV partners.”
James Kimery, Director of Wireless Research and SDR marketing at NI said:
“5G promises to not only revolutionize the wireless industry but also pervade and expand into other areas. For 5G application research, standard compliant technologies and solutions such as the NI Test UE are critically important to furthering this research and spurring innovation. NI is very excited to work with researchers at WMG and MFM and applaud their vision of evolving 5G into automotive, manufacturing, and beyond.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
High-res images available at:
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october2018/car_side.jpg
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/june2016/wmg54.jpg
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/july2016/wmg_3xd_simulator.jpg
About WMG, University of Warwick
An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a centre for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development. As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.
WMG is transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes. Its education programmes focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programmes.
For more information visit www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk
Midlands Future Mobility will be a real-world ecosystem for Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technology development. We will act as the springboard for scalable, future mobility technologies and services. The journeys of tomorrow start here today, for the benefit of society and business as part of the UK’s National Strategy.
Businesses will use Midlands Future Mobility to:
- Access a uniquely diverse, public physical test environment with smart monitoring, the latest wireless connectivity and a complete support network
- Utilise a digital twin of the test route, which can be used in external facilities or in a state of the art simulation suite
- Access to research, design, evaluation and deployment support from a consortium of delivery partners
The partners who are transforming the way we experience transport: Amey Consulting, AVL, Costain, Coventry University, Highways England, MIRA, Transport for West Midlands, Wireless Infrastructure Group, WMG, at the University of Warwick and Zenzic.
13 September 2019
For further information contact:
Peter Thorley
Media Relations Manager (Warwick Medical School and Department of Physics)
Email: peter.thorley@warwick.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)24 761 50868
Mob: +44 (0) 7824 540863