The Port of Vigo has recently hosted a demonstration of the use of the 5G network with a surveillance system that includes the deployment of drones with very high resolution cameras and intelligent video analysis techniques to detect the presence of people in unauthorized areas, and the ability to automatically generate alarms in real time. This pilot has been developed by Orange, Gradiant and Ericsson.
The system takes advantage of the 5G network to improve and extend the coverage of communications between unmanned aircraft and the ground control center, in addition to improving image transmission. The use of artificial intelligence for video analysis will allow this security system to detect unauthorized persons and generate warnings in real time that alert the control center of possible intrusions.
Thanks to the 5G network, minimal latency and high reliability for data transmission are achieved. Both parameters are essential for autonomous decision making in drone operations. In addition to this, the computing capabilities of 5G networks are exploited, through Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) -a server located very close to the network- that allows reducing latency in image processing compared to a solution deployed in the cloud .
This project is part of the 5G National Plan, the program for the development of 5G technology pilot projects carried out by Red.es , promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and co-financed with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) already through the joint venture formed by Cinfo, Orange, Gammera Nest and Optare Solutions.
