China Mobile, SAIC Motor and Huawei have jointly demonstrated the first 5G-based remote driving technology with a consumer car.
The demonstration at Mobile World Congress Shanghai involved using a Huawei-provided 5G solution connecting SAIC Motor's smart concept car the iGS, with China Mobile providing the connectivity.
The remote driving field test involved a driver located over 30km away from the vehicle, and used HD video cameras installed on the vehicle to send multiple real-time video feeds to provide the driver with a 240-degree view of the vehicle's surroundings, more than the average binocular peripheral vision.
Control signals for steering, acceleration and brakes were also transmitted over the 5G network in real time using 5G's ultra-low latency capabilities.
End-to-end latency for all vehicle control functions was less than 10 milliseconds, providing an eight centimeter distance between breaking and actual deceleration when the vehicle was traveling at 30km/h.
Remote driving can be used to augment autonomous vehicles and has a range of potential applications, particularly in harsh or dangerous environments like mining or waste disposal sites, Huawei said.
The technology could allow a single person to manage a fleet of autonomous vehicles, providing human intervention as needed such as in emergency situations.