Vodafone Idea has partnered with two start-ups — Vizzbee Robotics Solution and Tweek Labs — to test their 5G-based solutions on Aerial Traffic Management and Motion Capture System. The two start-ups are winners of the 5G Hackathon organised by IMC 2020 along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Through its partnership with Vizzbee Robotics Solution, Vi will trial Unmanned Aerial Traffic Management (UTM) and the Management Server (Aerobridge) using 5G network to validate solutions such as stream live video frames from the UAV over the network, demonstrate the public safety and law enforcement application for ground personnel, perform real-time analytics from the data captured via drones, amongst others.

Vi’s association with Tweek Labs will test a full-bodied motion capture suit using 5G technology, which can be an effective solution for sports training as it helps monitor the performance of athletes.

Last year, DoT had announced the 5G Hackathon to identify relevant India focused ideas that can be converted into 5G solutions. 5G Hackathon provided a platform to select the best solutions that can be tested and offer mentorship and support from the Hackathon partners.

Digital India initiative

Abhijit Kishore, Chief Operating Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “In line with our endeavour to support Government’s initiative of Digital India, we at VIL are committed to empowering start-ups to grow through innovation and design. We believe in partnering with the best and most innovative technology providers which can help us deliver solutions to enhance business outcomes for our customers.”

“We are conducting 5G trials to identify a range of India specific use cases that can accelerate the achievement of Smart Cities, Smart Enterprises and Smart Citizens. As a leader in the enterprise solutions segment, Vi will extend support and mentorship to Vizzbee Robotics Solution and Tweek Labs in testing their solutions on our 5G network,” he added.

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Vibhu Tripathi, the Co-founder at Vizzbee, said: “5G will not only ensure faster and reliable communication links for drones but will also enable long-range autonomous operations even in dense urban environments. Low latency V2X communication along with real-time image processing on the cloud will help these aerial vehicles reach a new level of autonomy. We also leverage Aerobrige which is an open and secure DGCA compliant management server for drone manufacturers and operators over the 5G network. With the support and mentorship from Vodafone Idea Limited, our team will be able to validate these solutions and have strong proof on how 5G for drones is a must to carry out BVLOS operations in dense urban airspace.”

Also read: How drones can beat rush hour by ‘thinking’ on their landers

Anant Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, Tweek Labs, said: “We at Tweek Labs are working towards the mission to make world-class sports coaching available to every aspiring athlete in the country. This requires great leaps in technology and innovation. We are glad to partner with VIL for the 5G trials and really look forward to showcasing the possibilities that 5G could bring about in people’s lives.”