Korea: In order to ensure safety for its employees, Samsung Electronics demonstrated in its campus, a new drone based antenna configuration measurement solution for 4G and 5G networks. With this operators will be able to effectively manage cell sites and optimize network performance.
In a demonstration, an engineer on the ground used a smartphone with a remote control application to fly a camera-equipped drone that captured photos of the antennas installed on a building’s rooftop. The visuals/images captured can be seen in the smartphone of the engineer. Then within seconds, less than a minute, all the visuals were transmitted to a cloud server. The mechanism based artificial intelligence (AI) instantly verified the rotation and tilt of the antennas. As a result, engineers can come to know whether the antennas are installed correctly or not and subsequently, necessary action can be taken. The entire process can be completed within 15 minutes. This compares to the several hours it can take for a tower climber to prepare, climb up and down a cell tower, and measure antenna configurations. From time to time, additional features will be added to this system. Take a look at the video to see the process.
As we all know cellular antennas are typically installed at significant heights and for their repair and maintenance, normally operator field engineers ordinarily carry heavy and expensive equipment. However with Samsung’s drone-based AI solution, operators will have a new approach for reinforcing the safety of their employees.
The solution’s safety benefits will be especially helpful during site audit and maintenance in the U.S., which often requires two field personnel to be dispatched to a site to audit or adjust the antenna angles — and requires climbs that use more advanced safety training.
“As the number of 5G network sites grows, there has been a heightened focus on network performance by operators, and we are seeing an increased market demand for intelligent solutions for site maintenance,” said Sohyong Chong, Vice President and Head of Network Automation, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Once this solution launches globally later this year, it will offer a safer, more cost-effective and convenient way to satisfy market demands, leveraging our unique capabilities in combining the latest technologies—drones, AI and 5G.”
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