Optus takes to the track with Sunswift Racing

Demonstrates future of 5G with remote driving capability

Optus has partnered with the UNSW Sunswift Racing Project to showcase full scale remote driving capability over the Optus 5G network, providing a sneak peak into the future of mobility using 5G.

The Sunswift 7 completed the first in a series of remote driving milestones as it took to the track at Sydney Motorsport Park. Running on solar energy and Optus’ super-fast 5G network and standalone technology, the vehicle required over 1500 hours of work by Sunswift students and Optus engineers to ensure optimal 5G integration and connectivity.

Having the car move forward, backwards, turn and even brake remotely was achieved thanks to the high bandwidth, low latency and speed of the Optus 5G network. Critically, the improved bandwidth offered by 5G assisted in the real-time transmission of high quality, low delay video to support with non-line of sight control.

Speaking on the new partnership Matt Williams, Optus Managing Director Marketing and Revenue said, “The team behind the Sunswift Racing Project are full of optimism so it was a natural fit for Optus to collaborate with them. Partnerships like this one are important in helping to understand and test how 5G technology can be harnessed for future use cases especially in industries like logistics and automation.

“What we’re showcasing today is just a fraction of Optus’ 5G network capability and I can’t wait to see how much further we can push this - if we can control a car remotely over 5G, the possibilities for future innovation are endless.”

Professor Richard Hopkins, Sunswift Racing Team Principal said: “The collaboration with Optus and Sunswift Racing’s highly motivated student team demonstrates the shared passion towards technology and innovation.

“For Sunswift Racing to be fully engaged with a project that can prove how 5G technology can be used is an opportunity not to be missed”.

Andrea Holden, Undergrad Mechanical Student Sunswift Racing Team Manager said “To have such amazing partners like Optus for our team to learn from and work with is an incredible experience. This project has at times been challenging but watching the Sunswift car out there on the skidpan, driving remotely over 5G was awesome to witness.”

Today’s showcase was the first milestone in a broader program of work that Optus and Sunswift Racing Project will deliver together over the next few months. 

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