Ultrasonic-Based Environmental Perception for Mobile 5G-Oriented XR Applications

One of the sectors that is expected to significantly benefit from 5G network deployment is eXtended Reality (XR). Besides the very high bandwidth, reliability, and Quality of Service (QoS) to be delivered to end users, XR also requires accurate environmental perception for safety reasons: this is fundamental when a user, wearing XR equipment, is immersed in a “virtual” world, but moves in a “real” environment. To overcome this limitation (especially when using low-cost XR equipments, such as cardboards worn by the end user), it is possible to exploit the potentialities offered by Internet of Things (IoT) nodes with sensing/actuating capabilities. In this paper, we rely on ultrasonic sensor-based IoT systems to perceive the surrounding environment and to provide “side information” to XR systems, then performing a preliminary experimental characterization campaign with different ultrasonic IoT system configurations worn by the end user. The combination of the information flows associated with XR and IoT components is enabled by 5G technology. An illustrative experimental scenario, relative to a “Tourism 4.0” IoT-aided VR application deployed by Vodafone in Milan, Italy, is presented.

[1]  Yunlong Cai,et al.  An Edge-Computing Based Architecture for Mobile Augmented Reality , 2018, IEEE Network.

[2]  G. Broll,et al.  Microsoft Corporation , 1999 .

[3]  Jaime Lloret,et al.  Internet of Things and augmented reality in the age of 5G , 2020, Comput. Commun..

[4]  Michel Kadoch,et al.  Compressed Sensing Based Traffic Prediction For 5G HetNet IoT Video Streaming , 2019, 2019 15th International Wireless Communications & Mobile Computing Conference (IWCMC).

[5]  Ulrike Gretzel,et al.  Tourism 4.0 technologies and tourist experiences: a human-centered design perspective , 2020, J. Inf. Technol. Tour..

[6]  Sebastian Bassi,et al.  Python Language Reference , 2009 .

[7]  Qi Zhang,et al.  Code-Partitioning Offloading Schemes in Mobile Edge Computing for Augmented Reality , 2019, IEEE Access.

[8]  Xiangpeng Liu,et al.  Common Sensors in Industrial Robots: A Review , 2019, Journal of Physics: Conference Series.

[9]  Heejung Yu,et al.  5G Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication Implementation Challenges and Operational Issues with IoT Devices , 2019, Electronics.

[10]  Stefan Parkvall,et al.  5G New Radio: Unveiling the Essentials of the Next Generation Wireless Access Technology , 2018, IEEE Communications Standards Magazine.

[11]  Qi Zhang,et al.  Mission Critical IoT Communication in 5G , 2015, FABULOUS.

[12]  Åsa Fast-Berglund,et al.  Testing and validating Extended Reality (xR) technologies in manufacturing , 2018 .

[13]  Alberto Leon-Garcia,et al.  Future Access Enablers for Ubiquitous and Intelligent Infrastructures , 2015, Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

[14]  J. Gardner,et al.  Microsensors, MEMS, and Smart Devices , 2001 .

[15]  Rade S. Popovic,et al.  A low-cost inductive proximity sensor for industrial applications , 2004 .

[16]  Chankil Lee,et al.  Indoor positioning: A review of indoor ultrasonic positioning systems , 2013, 2013 15th International Conference on Advanced Communications Technology (ICACT).

[17]  Brian K. Classon,et al.  5G System Design , 2019 .

[18]  P. Bilík,et al.  Distance Measuring by Ultrasonic Sensor , 2016 .

[19]  Jacqueline Xiao Wen Hay,et al.  Theory and Fundamentals of Ultrasound , 2013 .

[20]  S. Herman,et al.  Single Camera Object Detection for Self-Driving Vehicle: A Review , 2021, Journal of the Society of Automotive Engineers Malaysia.

[21]  Heedong Ko,et al.  XR Collaboration Architecture based on Decentralized Web , 2019, Web3D.

[22]  Gianluigi Ferrari,et al.  Applying Security to a Big Stream Cloud Architecture for the Internet of Things , 2016, Int. J. Distributed Syst. Technol..

[23]  M. Carmen Lucas-Estañ,et al.  Latency-Sensitive 5G RAN Slicing for Industry 4.0 , 2019, IEEE Access.

[24]  Byeong-hee Roh,et al.  A Design of Safety and Disaster Response System with XR, IoT and LBS Convergence , 2019, 2019 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI).

[25]  Xingqin Lin,et al.  Understanding the Heart of the 5G Air Interface: An Overview of Physical Downlink Control Channel for 5G New Radio , 2019, IEEE Communications Standards Magazine.

[26]  Luca Davoli,et al.  LoRaFarM: A LoRaWAN-Based Smart Farming Modular IoT Architecture , 2020, Sensors.

[27]  Ioannis Paraskevopoulos,et al.  Beyond Virtual Museums: Adopting Serious Games and Extended Reality (XR) for User-Centred Cultural Experiences , 2020, Visual Computing for Cultural Heritage.

[28]  Maria Rita Palattella,et al.  Internet of Things in the 5G Era: Enablers, Architecture, and Business Models , 2016, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications.

[29]  N. P. Andersen,et al.  The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) , 2002 .

[30]  G. Ferrari,et al.  IoT-enabled Smart Monitoring and Optimization for Industry 4.0 , 2020 .

[31]  V. S. Waydande,et al.  Obstacle detection and avoidance for automated vehicle: a review , 2021 .

[32]  Andrei O. J. Kwok,et al.  COVID-19 and Extended Reality (XR) , 2020 .

[33]  Toktam Mahmoodi,et al.  Enabling the IoT Machine Age With 5G: Machine-Type Multicast Services for Innovative Real-Time Applications , 2016, IEEE Access.

[34]  Amitav Mukherjee,et al.  Energy Efficiency and Delay in 5G Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications System Architectures , 2018, IEEE Network.

[35]  Tiago Andrade,et al.  Extended Reality in IoT scenarios: Concepts, Applications and Future Trends , 2019, 2019 5th Experiment International Conference (exp.at'19).

[36]  Gerhard P. Hancke,et al.  A Survey on 5G Networks for the Internet of Things: Communication Technologies and Challenges , 2018, IEEE Access.

[37]  Chutisant Kerdvibulvech,et al.  The Power of Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence During the Covid-19 Outbreak , 2020, HCI.

[38]  C. K. Sahu,et al.  Artificial intelligence (AI) in augmented reality (AR)-assisted manufacturing applications: a review , 2020, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[39]  Sanni Siltanen,et al.  Scalable and responsive information for industrial maintenance work: developing XR support on smart glasses for maintenance technicians , 2020, Mindtrek.

[40]  Andreas Mitschele-Thiel,et al.  Latency Critical IoT Applications in 5G: Perspective on the Design of Radio Interface and Network Architecture , 2017, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[41]  Tomáš Gajdošík,et al.  Smart Technologies for Smart Tourism Development , 2020, CSOC.

[42]  Rodrigo Roman,et al.  Mobile Edge Computing, Fog et al.: A Survey and Analysis of Security Threats and Challenges , 2016, Future Gener. Comput. Syst..

[43]  Robert Baldemair,et al.  5G Radio Network Design for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication , 2018, IEEE Network.

[44]  G. Ferrari,et al.  IoT-Enabled Smart Sustainable Cities: Challenges and Approaches , 2020, Smart Cities.

[45]  Wei-Ho Chung,et al.  Enabling Low-Latency Applications in Fog-Radio Access Networks , 2017, IEEE Network.

[46]  Brian K. Classon,et al.  5G Fundamental Air Interface Design , 2019, Wireless Networks.

[47]  Stuart Bennett,et al.  A History of Control Engineering 1930-1955 , 1993 .

[48]  Sabrina Marczak,et al.  Middleware Technology for IoT Systems: Challenges and Perspectives Toward 5G , 2016 .

[49]  Shin-Lin Shieh,et al.  5G New Radio: Waveform, Frame Structure, Multiple Access, and Initial Access , 2017, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[50]  Alexey Melnikov,et al.  The WebSocket Protocol , 2011, RFC.

[51]  Dayal R. Parhi,et al.  Mobile Robot Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance Techniques: A Review , 2017, ICRA 2017.

[52]  Laszlo Toka,et al.  5G support for Industrial IoT Applications— Challenges, Solutions, and Research gaps , 2020, Sensors.

[53]  Huaiyu Dai,et al.  A Survey on Low Latency Towards 5G: RAN, Core Network and Caching Solutions , 2017, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[54]  Nadine Eberhardt,et al.  Sensor Technology Handbook , 2016 .

[55]  E. Manavalan,et al.  A review of Internet of Things (IoT) embedded sustainable supply chain for industry 4.0 requirements , 2019, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[56]  D. Piguet,et al.  The MicroReed, an ultra-small passive MEMS magnetic proximity sensor designed for portable applications , 2001, Technical Digest. MEMS 2001. 14th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (Cat. No.01CH37090).

[57]  Jan Markendahl,et al.  Business Case and Technology Analysis for 5G Low Latency Applications , 2017, IEEE Access.

[58]  Luca Davoli,et al.  Toward Industry 4.0 With IoT: Optimizing Business Processes in an Evolving Manufacturing Factory , 2019, Front. ICT.

[59]  Joachim Sachs,et al.  Adaptive 5G Low-Latency Communication for Tactile InternEt Services , 2019, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[60]  Luca Veltri,et al.  Implementation of virtual network function chaining through segment routing in a linux-based NFV infrastructure , 2017, 2017 IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft).

[61]  Luca Veltri,et al.  PMSR — Poor Man's Segment Routing, a minimalistic approach to Segment Routing and a Traffic Engineering use case , 2015, NOMS 2016 - 2016 IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium.

[62]  J. Urbančič,et al.  Tourism 4.0: Challenges in Marketing a Paradigm Shift , 2019, Consumer Behavior and Marketing.

[63]  Luca Davoli,et al.  VegIoT Garden: a modular IoT Management Platform for Urban Vegetable Gardens , 2019, 2019 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Agriculture and Forestry (MetroAgriFor).

[64]  Mohamed Elawady,et al.  Mixed Reality Applications Powered by IoE and Edge Computing: A Survey , 2020 .

[65]  Luca Davoli,et al.  An Open-Source Cloud Architecture for Big Stream IoT Applications , 2014, OpenIoT@SoftCOM.

[66]  Yanina Protskaya,et al.  An anonymization protocol for the Internet of Things , 2017, 2017 International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems (ISWCS).

[67]  Sotirios K. Goudos,et al.  A Survey of IoT Key Enabling and Future Technologies: 5G, Mobile IoT, Sematic Web and Applications , 2017, Wirel. Pers. Commun..