Vodafone UK has partnered with UK-based autonomous vehicle developer and manufacturer Aurrigo to showcase autonomous vehicle technology using the operator’s 4G network.
The two partners will make use of the ISPS Handa Wales Open, part of golf’s European Tour, to demonstrate a driverless transport service that will transfer players from the clubhouse to the first tee.
According to Vodafone, the Wales Open is the first live sports event to use driverless travel.
No push start required
The operator is certainly determined to make a splash with the showcase, inviting top golfing stars including five-time European Tour winner Ross Fisher to use the service to tee off.
Details of the showcase were otherwise thin on the ground, other than to say that the shuttles feature Lidar technology for measuring distances, cameras and an inertial navigation system. The collected data can then be viewed by the Aurrigo fleet management system to remotely monitor and track the shuttles.
Testing times
Vodafone Group has invested heavily in autonomous vehicle technology based on cellular-vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology and has already carried out C-V2X tests on 5G networks.
The telco is also working with Continental on C-V2X trials at the Vodafone 5G Mobility Lab in Aldenhoven, Germany. A number of car manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Lexus, Nissan, PSA, SAIC, and Tesla also support the protocol.
One Comment