Driving in the Fast Lane: 5G and Autonomous Vehicles

Driving ahead

As data collection, processing, analysis and deployment moves to the edge of the network, 5G is vital to connect these components together. DataStax’s Callaghan explained: “In a sense, key aspects of autonomous vehicles will not be possible without edge computing. It’s important to remember that reliability will come from an awareness of the state of the surrounding infrastructure through sensors and base sites, as well as through in-car sensors providing data for safety and maintenance.

“Public and private sector organisations involved in the future of our traffic systems will need to share, replicate and integrate data across organisational boundaries in near real-time, as well as store data for a longer term to support machine learning and historical analysis to ensure efficiency and predicting failures before they occur.

“How edge computing will be employed by the autonomous vehicle ecosystem will vary depending on the state of the environment around the car; the actions of the driver; the infrastructure; the other vehicles and their actions; and pedestrians nearby. For example, one of the practical demonstrations for the EU-funded 5GCAR project considers how to protect pedestrians when there is no line of sight between a car and a pedestrian.”

Callaghan concluded: “There will be a reliance on broadband 5G reference signals from both the car and pedestrian. These 5G signals will be picked up by synchronised base stations. Edge computing will be used to estimate the absolute positions and, this will be achieved by using the time difference between measurements as they arrive and, says 5GCAR, warn of impending collisions when applicable. The ambitions for the level of positioning accuracy in the EU are lofty and will be within 30cm for vehicles and 10cm for pedestrians and anyone classed as a vulnerable road user, such as children, the elderly and disabled.

For the UK, 5G across the transport sector could be transformative. According to the findings of a new report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Frost & Sullivan, the country could see an economic benefit of £62 billion annually.

Sarwant Singh, Senior Partner and Head of Mobility, Frost & Sullivan, said:

“The UK already has the essential building blocks – forward-thinking legislation, advanced technology infrastructure, a highly skilled labour force, and a tech-savvy customer base – to spearhead CAV (connected and autonomous vehicles) deployment over the next decade. However, it will require sustained and coordinated efforts by all key stakeholders, especially the government, to realise the significant annual economic benefits forecast for the UK from CAV deployment by 2030 and drive the vision of safe, convenient and accessible mobility for all.”

For businesses, the challenge is to capitalise on this burgeoning market and locate their own value proposition. 5G is brand new. The autonomous vehicle sector is also in its early stages of development but is accelerating as each day passes.

“The CIO, who must somehow put together a 5G action plan without truly knowing what problems they need to overcome, what new capabilities they want to provision, and how 5G will affect wider corporate strategy,” said Harry Chima, Head of CIO Advisory UK, Infosys Consulting. “The best way for a CIO to build the case for investment – or, indeed, for holding fire on that investment – is to work with other strategic decision-makers in the business to work out the potential use cases for 5G. Only the CIO has the knowledge and experience to show others how to achieve the corporate vision, and whether 5G is the answer.”

It’s clear that the dream of autonomous transport relies upon a stable, fast and secure network. 5G as it expands its reach will eventually deliver innovations not only in car design but how we all interact with the transport we use.