Vodafone has used new precision positioning technology which it says will let fleet operators know the exact whereabouts of their autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Vodafone says it used its Internet of Things (IoT) platform to remotely track a vehicle within 10cm of its location, an improvement of more than three metres compared with current standard satellite systems.
Justin Shields, Vodafone business platforms and solutions director, says: "We might not be able to locate a needle in a haystack yet, but we are getting close. What we can do now is take new digital services like this one, integrate it with our global IoT platform and fast networks, and offer it securely at scale to many millions of customers.
The test was carried out in collaboration with Sapcorda, a provider of advanced GNSS
(global navigation satellite system) augmentation services that provide positioning required to make AVs viable for mass adoption.
According to Vodafone, linking IoT-enabled vehicles with Sapcorda's network of GNSS receivers and augmentation technology improves location accuracy by correcting the curvature of the earth, atmospheric delays and clock differences of global positioning satellites.
This offers corporations hyper-precise positioning which they can utilise to ensure a safe environment for their customers and the public, the company adds.
The technology is combined with video and on-board diagnostics to allow vehicle operators to carry out location sensitive remote inspections.
Vodafone insists the solution will allow an autonomous truck to mind other road users, including those using electric bikes, which can automatically transmit their position and intended direction of travel.
