Four teams developing smart base technologies demonstrated their working prototypes from last fall’s 5G Pitch Day to Miramar leaders in early March, 2021.
While many 5G applications seem far off into the future, the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego is already looking into how the technology can improve military operations at the base. The 5G Living Lab at Miramar is a $4 million initiative funded by the Department of Navy, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, and powered by Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network to experiment with systems that will improve overall safety and efficiency on base.
US Ignite is overseeing the development of four key 5G applications that will address operational challenges such as connectivity, energy management, and more. The enormous talent behind these applications一selected from a pool of nearly 50 proposals at the 2020 5G Pitch Day competition一demonstrated their technologies during site visits with representatives from Miramar and Verizon in early March, 2021.
From remotely-operated drones to ad hoc 5G networks, these applications will be game-changing in how smart bases operate in the future. Here are some highlights from the site visits.
vRotors
March 2, 2021: Led by Neil Malhotra and based in San Diego, vRotors is developing a telemetry-driven mixed reality platform that would enable human-machine collaboration. The team held a technology demonstration of their remotely operated drones and application at a test site near Norco College.
Caption: Neil Malhotra (far right) of vRotors showcases their 5G connected solution to representatives from Miramar and Verizon.
vRotors has developed an innovative, real-time platform where users can remotely pilot drones or robots. The platform allows command and field teams to collaboratively manage and control remote vehicles, such as connected drones and robots, in real-time through virtual cockpits. The cutting edge augmented reality feature allows users to integrate and share important information seamlessly.
GenXComm
March 9, 2021: The GenXComm team, led by Gary Raven, and SimX developers met with Miramar representatives in Austin, TX. The demonstration featured GenXComm’s TrueRelay 5G Mesh Node Relay Solution that provides multiple advantages for CONUS facility and expeditionary deployments.
The 5G Mesh Node Relay Solution allows for multi-hop links across miles of empty space where there is no established service. This technology offers many key benefits for smart bases, including spectrum sharing, increased throughput, flexible edge computing, improved security, ultra-low latency, and untethered mobility.
Omnispace
March 11, 2021: Headquartered in the Washington DC area, the Omnispace team met with Miramar leaders at the LinQuest Lab facilities in Chantilly, VA. Omnispace is redefining mobile connectivity by enabling truly mobile, dual-use narrowband communications for commercial and government partners.
Caption: The Omnispace team demonstrated their 5G non-terrestrial network solution to Miramar leaders at LinQuest Facilities in Chantilly, VA.
Led by Campbell Marshall, the demo team is developing a direct-to-satellite, 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) solution that will deliver 5G connectivity on a global scale. The site visit included a tour of LinQuest Facilities and a demonstration of the NTN satellite system.
COMSovereign
March 16, 2021: Dustin McIntire of COMSovereign met with the Miramar team in Bunnell, Florida to showcase their 5G application, which features a tethered drone that enables isolated operations with no backhaul.
Caption: COMSovereign’s FeatherLite technology creates a secure cellular network bubble for standalone operations using a tethered drone.
The COMSovereign 4G/LTE FeatherLite creates a secure cellular network bubble for stand-alone operations and facilitates multi-domain awareness using software applications and smartphone connectivity. When integrated into the COMSovereign WATT 200 UAS platform, the combined solution provides instant connectivity on-the-go and can provide broad mobile coverage in any outdoor environment.
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To learn more about US Ignite’s work with Smart Bases and Installations, check out our website. Interested in partnering with us on smart base projects? Contact us at [email protected].