What’s happened? A research laboratory in Sweden – The Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) – built AstaZero, the first proving ground for connected vehicles, and has now given more information about what it’s trying to do.
Gizmodo has gained further information on the goals of the lab. The CEO, Peter Janevik, outlined how it believes the facility will use 6G and other advanced connectivity tech to have a significant impact on the deployment of vehicles. This can dramatically reduce road fatalities and provide advanced disaster relief during emergencies.
He has also highlighted how the scenarios might work. This includes a drone that can scan an accident site, creating a map of potential obstacles and dangers that can be deployed in real time to vehicles and allow safe management of future situations.
This matters because:
- 6G is tipped to be an ultra-low latency, high-reliability technology that will facilitate true autonomy in vehicles and drones in a seamless infrastructure.
- This technology could help reduce accidents in urban areas through smarter vehicle responses.
- These technologies could also cut congestion and emissions, meaning cities can expand in a more environmentally friendly way.
- However, until reliability of connection can be proven to be over 99.999% effective, safety concerns will remain, hence the need for the testing environment.
- Facilities around the world have tested 5G for autonomous vehicles, but this is the first that allows all brands to come and pay to use the facility to test the deployment of 6G, hyper-connected tech.
What are the risks? The facility also allows brands to mitigate risks through the testing, such as ensuring the security of the connection to stop hackers from disrupting communication between devices. Drones tracking in urban environments could also create privacy or surveillance concerns.
6G deployment will require massive investment, so making sure it’s done correctly and in a cost-effective and useful manner is key.
What’s next? The facility will expand further into AI-powered testing, to allow it to understand the situations contextually, as well as greater understanding of how these components will work in times when connectivity is degraded. 6G is slated for release within the next decade, and regulatory frameworks will need to be created to ensure its safe use, especially in the sphere of connected vehicles and drones.
