Feasibility assessment to realise vehicle teleoperation using cellular networks

Abstract

Future cellular networks (5G) will be used for a diversity of use cases. Transportation is one domain where cellular networks can play a significant role not only in connecting autonomous vehicles to other vehicles, infrastructures, and people, but also in realizing vehicle teleoperation i.e., vehicle driven by an operator from a distance. In this paper, we assess the feasibility of using a cellular network to realise vehicle teleoperation. We identify the network requirements for a teleoperated vehicle use case in an urban environment using a test setup of an LTE network and simulations. Testbed measurements reveal that teleoperation use cases can be supported even with less than excellent signal strength. Through simulation we show that the testbed can scale to cover greater distances and support teleoperation use cases even with background mobile broadband traffic.

Characterization of Radio Signal Strength Fluctuations in Road Scenarios for Cellular Vehicular Network Planning in LTE

“…In parallel, several field trials have shown the first benefits of C-V2X. For instance, in [31], the feasibility of teleoperated driving based on LTE networks is shown in a testbed. However, a more comprehensive analysis of drive test measurements shows that varying radio conditions and handovers could prevent achieving the required latency in certain spots and hours [32].…”

A Survey of the Connected Vehicle Landscape—Architectures, Enabling Technologies, Applications, and Development Areas

“…In this manner, a vehicle may use a cellular connection for media consumption, freeing additional cellular or mesh networking technologies for use in safety-critical and time-sensitive applications. As 5G networking technologies roll out and costs fall, vehicles may indeed rely on direct cellular technologies to facilitate connectivity for critical applications [58]- [60]. Such technology offers high bandwidth (1Gb/s) for vehicles, and use of femtocells allows this connection to be repurposed by vehicle occupants' own devices [61].…”

“…Eventually, 5G cellular will support high bandwidth, long range and low latency direct-tocloud connectivity, minimizing requisite vehicle density and improving the richness of data stored in vehicle mirrors [182]. Feasibility assessments show promise using this technology in the context of realtime vehicle teleoperation or for safety services today using V2V technology [60], [182], [183].…”

The Role of 5G Technologies: Challenges in Smart Cities and Intelligent Transportation Systems

“…Dedicated short range communications and visible light communication are wireless communication technologies that are currently used presently but are not suitable for long distance communication. The 5G mobile network is best suited for vehicle teleoperation as it allows covering longer distances with a high throughput and low latency for continuous video streaming [36].…”