A group of technology companies and one university are partnering to bring 5G-enabled driverless transportation to the Norwegian fjord city of Trondheim.
Ericsson, Telia and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have connected 5G capabilities to a small passenger ferry that will run autonomously to transport passengers across the city’s harbor canal.
The ferry, named milliAmpère, used Ericsson’s 5G technology to securely support large data transfers needed to support the autonomous ferry. The ferry comes with multiple sensors to record its surroundings and the steering system on board that is then communicated with the control center.
In the event of a sea emergency, the vessel can be remotely controlled from the control center in Gløshaugen, Norway, through the same 5G network.
NTNU said the data is analyzed to allow the vessel to find itself and to avoid any obstacles as well as to safely moor itself.