Verizon/Ericsson testing 5G by driving a car with all windows blacked out.
Verizon/Ericsson testing 5G by driving a car with all windows blacked out.
Ericsson is testing their new 5G infrastructure with Verizon in a unique way. They are testing the multi Gbps speed 5G network in a moving car with all windows blacked out and the driver wearing VR headset.
The VR headset is connected to the 5G network. There is a camera on top of the vehicle which also
connected to 5G network and transmitting real-time view in turn to the drivers VR headset.
The test is carried out the indy 500 (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) with Verizon. Erisson.com blog
has published the video of the test and is available on YouTube. Check out the video of the test
below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw2GT95Vyxc
They used the beamforming technique (spatial filtering) for directional signal transmission and
reception, instead of broadly transmitting the signal like the regular cellular networks. Beamforming
and beam tracking beam information at a specific user offers greater antenna performance and high
throughput.
Ericsson has been testing their 5G network at different locations. They are also testing 5G network
and will demo it at the upcoming 2018 FIFA world cup in Moscow.
As pointed out by various self driving car manufacturers, 5G is key to realize a full-fledged self
driving experience. With its gigabyte speed, low latency, higher coverage, 5G network implementation
will be important for the future tech oriented, IoT, VR/AR and mixed reality future.
Check out more details of the Ericsson/Verizon 5G test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on their
blog here.