Photo: Melita
Currently, mobile operators around the world are upgrading their mobile networks to the fifth generation. Melita Ltd, one of the sponsors of this year’s Faculty of ICT final year project exhibition, has recently launched 5G mobile services in Malta. 5G mobile networks boast increased speed and lower latency than their 4G predecessors.
The research project was carried out by Mr Max Bonavia, a student in the M.Sc. Telecommunications programme, offered by the Department of Communications & Computer Engineering. Max was supervised by Prof. Ing. Saviour Zammit. , Chief Technical Officer at Melita Ltd, coordinated the provision of 5G mobile services and devices, for the duration of the project.
Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) has been in development for a while but is yet to reach its full potential, maybe due to the lack of support on the mobile network side. “The aim of our work was to study two MAR use cases and explore whether 5G provides benefits over 4G or WiFi networks” stated Mr Bonavia.
Both use cases have the objective of assisting drivers and reducing traffic accidents. The Obstruction View Eliminator (OVE) acts as a “window” through large vehicles in front of drivers, allowing them to see oncoming traffic, and judging whether it is safe to overtake. The Virtual Mirror (VM), as the name suggests, augments physical mirrors on the road to create better visibility and eliminate blind spots.
These two scenarios were tested objectively and subjectivity to determine whether users would appreciate the mobile AR services. The research project found general acceptance of the services and determined that 5G is essential for the safe delivery of quality, real-time, mobile AR services. This augurs well for mobile AR services in Malta and globally.
