04.09.2019 by Pamela Buchwald

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The topics of 5G and edge computing are gaining momentum. We present start-ups that are developing innovative solutions – from applications for the automotive industry to products for VR gaming. Part 3 of our practice series.

In the Marvel blockbuster "Infinity War," villain Thanos erases half of all life in the entire universe just by snapping his fingers. His glove with Infinity Gems gives him the power to do this, which – spoiler alert – later becomes his doom. Gloves already played an important role in the Middle Ages; knights would throw down the proverbial gauntlet to start a duel. Today gloves are becoming digital – and offer a natural interface between Augmented Reality, the virtual world and the real environment.

Is the screw fixed correctly? Does the inclination angle of the tool fit? Is the pressure on the material too high? Before dealing with real machines on the production line, a new technician learns how to handle the highly complex devices with data goggles and gloves. All the functions are internalized and every movement is already second nature by the time they are deployed.

Touch, feel and move: Augmented Reality applications are being used for training and further education purposes in more and more companies – from large corporations to medium-sized businesses. New employees familiarize themselves with systems and equipment, and companies protect their staff by virtually recreating risk situations. At the same time, trained employees save time during individual production steps because errors and downtimes can be reduced. How can this be achieved?

5G REVOLUTIONIZES AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS

The data glove SenseGlove from the Dutch start-up of the same name allows users to interact with virtual objects as if they were real. The data glove captures interactive hand gestures precisely – and in real time. The data glove translates the movements of the individual fingers, the whole hand and the wrist into virtual gestures. The SenseGlove also communicates how soft or firm the materials are that users are holding in the AR environment. This is made possible by the patent-pending haptic drive, which exerts up to 1.8 kilograms of force on each finger and provides feedback on the properties of the material.

"For precise haptics, SenseGlove requires a local data calculation, because all the information on inclination, resistance or movement must be directly fed back to the user via the glove," says SenseGlove CEO Gijs den Butter. "That's why we need fast data processing and low latency. Augmented Reality cannot afford delays." The new mobile communications standard is the solution: 5G can process data rates of up to 10 Gbps. At the same time, the server and AR application interact in real time, as the latency drops to one millisecond.

hub:raum – KNOWING WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES

The start-up tested how the data glove behaves in the new 5G network in hub:raum – Telekom's tech incubator. The company presented a first prototype at Telekom’s 5G Ecosystem Summit. The attendees selected the Dutch start-up as one of the three winners. "Now we are developing the solution further together with SenseGlove to generate cross-industry added value for companies," says Andreas Droste, Innovation Manager at T-Systems.

"But this is just one of many ways we support the winners of our 5G Summit. At the T-Systems Innovation Center, for example, we work together to identify customer needs and derive application scenarios – sometimes in collaboration with contacts from our network.” The aim is to bring the start-ups with their innovative solutions together with Telekom customers in order to create solutions for new applications. "Because those who know where the problems lie can develop an optimal solution," says Droste.