Vodafone UK bolstered its enterprise offering, striking a partnership with autonomous vehicle specialist Aurrigo to offer a driverless transport service at a golfing event using its 4G network.
In a statement, Vodafone said the partnership would allow golfers and their caddies appearing at the ISPS Handa Wales Open Tournament to use a driverless shuttle from the clubhouse to the opening tee, making it the first sporting event to use driverless technology.
Vodafone will use its 4G network to provide connectivity to the shuttles, enabling “high speed and real time data transfers” supporting critical positioning and location of the vehicle on its journey.
The operator explained the shuttles feature Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) technology, cameras and an inertial navigation system to guide the vehicle. The data can then be viewed by Aurrigo’s fleet management system for remote monitoring and tracking.
Vodafone added its belief fully autonomous vehicles could “be the future of transport in a post COVID world”.
“We’re always looking at ways in which our technology can overcome the challenges brought about by COVID-19,” said Anne Sheehan, director of Vodafone UK.
The partnership comes on the hot heels of a separate tie-up with Ford Motor Company to deploy a private 5G network at the car maker’s electric vehicle facility, pushing the technology’s potential in manufacturing.
