Autonomous Driving And Flying In The 5G Campus Network

The development of the 5G campus networks as part of the 5G-TELK-NF project under the project management of EurA AG, SH branch, is creating a test area for teleoperated driving and flying.
The assurance of mobile communications coverage on the test area of the former military airfield in Leck as well as on the area Enge-Sande creates a space in Germany's far North for future innovative applications. The Internet of Things (IoT), which allows the possibility of testing e.g. automated driving through networking with the Internet (AVF: autonomous and connected driving in public transport), is already seen as a central component of the future mobility offer. UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) applications will also benefit from the 5G campus network. In combination with 5G, both topics will receive a further, significant boost in development, which will contribute to strengthening Schleswig-Holstein as a business location.

What makes this project so unique in the 5x5G universe?

Examples such as the autonomous driving taxi service Waymo in Los Angeles show that there are still many bugs on the way to safe and smooth autonomous driving. A subsidiary of Alphabet, Waymo took on the further development of the Google Driverless Cars in 2014 and is one of the first services to be licensed for public driving in LA.
The 5G-TELK-NF project for the development of a test area for load tests for autonomous driving and flying goes a big step further technologically: by connecting to a combined control centre for AVF and UAV, it is possible to intervene remotely via the control system in stuck pile-up situations and "free" the vehicles. The UAV focus is on the analysis of new services when using drones in combination with the campus network. In particular, the performance comparison between the public mobile network and the campus network will be investigated when flying out of sight. This approach guarantees a new category of security in the fields of AVF and UAV.

Where are we with the project right now?

The 5G-TELK-NF project covers the contiguous areas of the four municipalities in the Nordfriesland district of Tinningstedt, Enge-Sande, Leck and Klixbüll. In Leck, civil engineering work is taking place to lay power cables and fibre optics. The campus network is expected to be completed in July 2023. Until then, further tests of individual network components will be carried out to have hardware and software errors eliminated by the manufacturer. The current update is promising and the construction of the control centre is well on its way. Integration of the fixed-wing drone and copter as well as the basic setup for autonomous driving are in place. Autonomous driving: Network partner fka GmbH just tested the connection to the control centre; the first test took place in May in North Friesland. The company mb+Partner - itself a partner in the 5G-TELK-NF project - made the first flight tests with its sled system in Leck for the use cases forest fire and motor vehicle accident.

What are the future prospects?

In the future, the test area will offer various players like authorities, companies as well as research institutions the opportunity to test innovative mobility applications for AVF and UAV. Products as well as services will thus make the next development steps that build on a fast and broad 5G mobile infrastructure.

If you have any questions or are interested in the 5G-TELK-NF project, please contact us at any time: projekt@5g-telk-nf.sh. You can also find a lot of information on the homepage: www.5g-telk-nf.sh, and here.

Autorin: Britta Rückriem