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The Mobile Communications group of the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and Orange (MasOrange Group) have developed an innovative immersive remote driving system using 5G technology.

This remote driving system is based on three main nodes: the user node, the robot node and the 5G communications network node. The first allows remote control of the robots by means of peripheral elements, specifically a steering wheel and pedals, and an immersive user interface. The robot nodes are the robots themselves and incorporate different sensors that facilitate teleoperation or remote driving. The 5G network node supports communications between the driver and the robot, ensuring reliable, high-speed data transmission.

‘Thanks to 5G technology, remote driving is carried out with minimal latency, which guarantees a stable and secure connection between the user and the robot, even if they are in separate locations,’ says David Gómez-Barquero, Research Deputy Director of the iTEAM Institute at the Universitat Politècnica de València.

In addition, as part of the project, an interface was developed for augmented reality glasses and gaming screens, which allows users to enjoy 360º video in real time of the robots' environment, as well as incorporating augmented reality objects superimposed on the video, haptic feedback to simulate physical interactions and a digital twin of the velodrome where the demonstration was held. ‘All this allows for detailed monitoring of the robot's status in real-time,’ adds Íñigo Polo, Director of Public Administration and Digital Services.

One of the use cases for this project was the 5G Robot Race, a race of robots remotely controlled via an immersive user interface equipped with augmented reality and haptic feedback (the use of tactile sensations to communicate information to users, such as vibrations), two technologies that improve the user experience.

This technology was validated in real operating environments during the IEEE PIMRC and One6G Summit events held last year in Valencia.

Future lines of work

The use case has great potential for integrating emerging technologies that improve accuracy, sensory response and autonomy in user-robot interaction.

Among the main future lines of development, the iTEAM-UPV and Orange team will work on implementing Mixed Reality (XR) to merge the physical and virtual worlds, allowing for more realistic manipulation of digital objects.

‘In addition, incorporating advanced haptic sensitivity through vests or suits will improve the perception of the environment. And we will also work on optimising connectivity through 5G/6G networks with specific functions to guarantee low latency in critical operations,' adds David Gómez-Barquero, Deputy Director of Research at iTEAM-UPV.

Intelligent remote driving assistance

Another key focus for the UPV-Orange team is the development of AI algorithms that enable intelligent assistance in remote driving, obstacle detection, and video quality optimisation. Likewise, integrating advanced sensors and predictive data analysis will facilitate anticipating operational failures and improving robot navigation through Machine Learning techniques.

‘With these innovations, we expect greater security, efficiency and adaptability in human-robot interaction,’ adds Raúl Lozano Teruel, Research at iTEAM at the Universitat Politècnica de València.

The collaboration between Orange and the UPV has been developed within the framework of the project Advancing Immersive 5G for haptic communications (TSI-0630002021-111) of the Programme for the Universalisation of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion - 5G R&D (UNICO-5G R&D). Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan—Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.