5G start-ups: Experiencing 3D worlds
5G and edge computing offer a high degree of innovation potential and completely new development opportunities for tech start-ups. We present future-orientated solutions. Part 4 of our practice series.
Train, develop, play: Users can collaborate in virtual worlds and interact with each other across the globe. It’s not just the application possibilities of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) that are developing at a rapid pace, but also the technology. Simulated Reality (SR) allows completely new worlds of experience – thanks to 5G. What is behind it?
5G AS THE KEY TO INNOVATIVE BUSINESS IDEAS
More and more devices and machines are networked with each other: Private individuals watch films and series via smartphone or they control smart devices in their home via app. Companies in the automotive, retail, transport and logistics industries are identifying new areas of application to improve processes and grow their business. For example, the Internet of Things (IoT) makes asset tracking of supply chains or machine-to-machine communication in production facilities possible.
According to a recent study by Juniper Research, more than 50 billion devices will be connected to the IoT by 2022. As more and more IoT applications rely on processing ever-growing volumes of data in real time, a fast, stable, and scalable network is required. The key to this is 5G: with latency times of up to one millisecond and transmission speeds of 10 Mbit/s, the new mobile communications standard creates a correspondingly high level of connectivity. That’s necessary for the trouble-free operation of, for example, immersive applications, i.e. fictitious worlds such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality or Simulated Reality.
3D EXPERIENCE WITHOUT EXTERNAL DEVICES
With the fusion of reality and the digital world in AR and VR applications through data glasses or headsets, the Dutch start-up Dimenco is creating a completely new world of experience: via an autostereoscopic display, users intuitively interact in the simulated 3D world. The start-up’s special cameras with lenticular Clear View technology capture the individual movements of the eyes, while sensors measure the hand movements in the air. This allows depth perception and gesture control without wearables; all movement information flows directly into the 3D environment. Thanks to high connectivity, users immerse themselves in a virtual world in which they can, for example, disassemble machine parts into their individual parts during virtual training courses without actually holding them in their hands. Or they can design new products and learn about motion or surface properties before the prototype is even produced.
EDGE COMPUTING ENABLES LOW LATENCY
"On our platform we unite physical and virtual worlds in a completely new way. We bring together numerous sensor-supported eye movements and user hand gestures," says Dimenco CEO Maarten Tobis. "Time is the decisive criterion for integrating the information gained directly into the virtual environment.” For a trouble-free user experience a low latency is indispensable, which is ensured by the start-up through 5G and edge computing (see box).
Over several months, the start-up tested how SR technology behaves in the 5G network in Telekom's hub:raum tech incubator in Berlin. There, as in Bonn, the Bonn-based provider is pushing ahead with the 5G expansion before the official launch in 2020. Together with experts and mentors, the start-up worked in parallel on a cross-sector solution so that numerous users could benefit from the idea of a Simulated Reality platform. At this year's Telekom 5G Ecosystem Summit, visitors were able to try out a gaming prototype developed by the company itself. The start-up and T-Systems Innovation are now working together to derive further solutions specifically for the B2B environment. "We support Dimenco in presenting new ideas and prototypes to our customers and are cooperating closely on discussing the potential for industry-specific applications," says Andreas Droste, Innovation Manager at T-Systems. "Innovation workshops and tech events at the customer's site provide the ideal framework for this, which we create for start-ups at hub:raum.”
hub:raum
hub:raum is the tech incubator from Deutsche Telekom for the digital start-up scene. The funding ranges from seed financing and provided office space, to network events and links to the individual business branches of the Bonn-based provider. In addition, telecom experts and business mentors help technology companies and fast-growing start-ups set up business models for their innovative solutions and develop prototypes with customer value in mind across different industries. At present, the start-up program is represented in Berlin, Krakow, and Tel Aviv.
Deutsche Telekom regularly identifies key digital topics and establishes special prototyping programs. In order to promote development and rollout in Europe, 2017 was all about NarrowBand IoT. Last year, the start-ups in the hub:raum prototyping program worked with LTE-M.
Edge computing
When a smartphone or other IoT device sends a request to the cloud and has to wait for a response from a remote data center to come back, it often takes far too long. This is especially true for applications that require real-time responses, such as autonomous driving or augmented reality games. Edge computing solves this problem: Edge devices are located at many points on the network and are therefore often closer to the user than the cloud’s data center. As a result, they can respond much faster than the cloud. This significantly reduces latencies. That's why edge computing is considered the key technology for the Internet of Things. It not only provides faster answers but also reduces the load on the network. According to a recent study, the global volume of data is expected to rise to 175 zettabytes by 2025.
Pamela Buchwald
IoT Marketing Communication Manager
Pamela Buchwald has been part of the Telekom cosmos since 2016 and is very familiar with the Internet of Things. From general IoT trends to industry know-how and connected mobility, the blog highlights exciting topics related to connected things.
Pamela Buchwald
IoT Marketing Communication Manager
Pamela Buchwald has been part of the Telekom cosmos since 2016 and is very familiar with the Internet of Things. From general IoT trends to industry know-how and connected mobility, the blog highlights exciting topics related to connected things.
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