Faculty of Engineering Rijeka testing T-Mobile LTE network in the area of robotics
19.12.2011
The Artificial Perception and Autonomous System Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering Rijeka has joined the customers of Hrvatski Telekom who will be the first in Croatia to test the LTE technology, the most advanced generation of mobile networks. More precisely, the Lab is using T-Mobile's LTE testing network to explore application possibilities related to facility or location protection by mobile robots. One of the biggest advantages of the use of LTE in mobile robotics is that the robots can establish real-time communication, given the high speed data transfer provided by LTE.
To be more specific, the application used in testing will determine that the robot shall perform surveillance of a defined area. The robot will move according to a given strategy which is designed in such a manner that the robot's movement cannot be easily foreseen. Such application requires a permanent link, large data throughput, very low latency and an extremely stable connection for video and audio streaming and real-time robot control from any location, which is easily achievable through utilization of LTE technology.
In mobile robotics, communication is one of the crucial components, opening new possibilities and ways of using robots. Fitting the robot with an LTE USB data device will allow real-time transfer of data collected by the sensors, robot control from remote locations, mutual robot coordination and the like. In addition to minimum energy consumption and doing away with the need for adjustment of the robot's activity area, the use of LTE technology will also increase mobility and robot autonomy.
“HT was the first in Croatia to enable its customers to test LTE – the network of the future which provides surfing at bitrates up to ten times higher than provided by current solutions. Selected customers were given the opportunity to test, totally free of charge and on an everyday basis, T-Mobile's LTE network – the most advanced, fourth generation of mobile network which offers download bitrates up to 150 Mbit/s, and I am pleased that the Artificial Perception and Autonomous System Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering Rijeka is also involved in testing of this state-of-the-art technology and its application“, said Goran Toplek, Director of HT's Radio Access Networks Planning and Deployment Department.
„At the Artificial Perception and Autonomous System Laboratory (APAS Lab) of the Faculty of Engineering Rijeka, activities and research in the area of mobile robotics were initiated this year. By cooperation of the Faculty with Hrvatski Telekom, we wish to create conditions for university students and young research scientists to conduct research, development and testing of state-of-the-art devices and technologies. The first example is this robot application which will involve utilization and testing of T-Mobile's LTE network,“ said Doc. Dr.Sc. Kristijan Lenac, Head of the Department of Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering Rijeka.
Application details: The application enables the robot to keep up a permanent connection, via LTE, with the control center. The video and audio signal from multiple cameras and microphones mounted on the robot, as well as various data collected by the sensors, are broadcast, in real-time, to the control center. Simultaneously, the same LTE channel is used in the opposite direction; the operator can send commands for robot control (the robot will switch from autonomous operation to remote-controlled action). Furthermore, an audio link to the robot can be activated for communication via loudspeaker. In addition to direct commands received from the control center, the robot will autonomously react to predefined events.