Thanks to 5G, and a gaming steering column.
Sony’s Vision S 01 concept may not have any hands on the wheel, but that doesn’t mean the electric sedan is autonomous. Vodafone and the tech giant have teamed up to conduct a remote driving test. Let’s explain. The EV was connected to a 5G network and controlled from Tokyo, while the vehicle was traveling on a course designed for it in Aldenhoven (Germany).
The Vision-S 01. was successfully controlled by the “test driver”, despite being 9,363 km (5,817 miles away). He sat at his desk in Tokyo with a three-monitor setup. The accelerator pedal, which looks a lot like a gaming steering wheels setup, was able to propel the vehicle to 38 mph (61 km/h). It did have a clutch pedal but it wasn’t needed for obvious reasons.
In case of an emergency, someone was always at the wheel of the zero emission sedan. He could also override remote controls if necessary. Sony explained that video and control signals were sent with low latency thanks to the Vision-S 01 built-in Telematics system. This unusual test was part of a research project to develop codecs and rate control technology that will allow stable transmission of large amounts of video data in real time.
The impressive demonstration is a step up in the level of Sony’s Remote Play functionality, which was introduced many years ago for its gaming consoles. According to the company, it is creating a “completely different mobility experience” that combines real and virtual.
The car might be actually built. Sony presented the Vision-S 02 SUV concept at CES 2022. It also announced that it would create a new company called “Sony Mobility” this spring to study a possible entry into the EV market.