The iTEAM-UPV, in collaboration with Orange, Yerba Buena VR, and Robotnik Automation, as part of the UNICO 5G R&D project, conducted a demonstration at the IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (IEEE PIMRC 2024).
The demonstration, titled “5G Robot Race,” featured an immersive race between two mobile robots remotely controlled via Orange’s public 5G network. Users were able to control the robots in real time from control stations located in the lobby of the Conference Center, while the race took place outdoors at the UPV velodrome. The robots, equipped with sensors and cameras that enable remote control, sent telemetry data to the edge of the network to create a digital twin of the race.
Each control station included a racing seat, steering wheel, pedals, a three-screen setup, a haptic vest, and a virtual reality headset. Users received a classic or virtual reality view from the robot’s perspective, as if they were inside it, through a real-time 360º video stream. The video was overlaid with augmented reality objects consisting of power-up items that acted as bonuses or penalties for the robot’s dynamics, while the effects of these augmented reality obstacles were felt through the haptic vest.