6G-SANDBOX

RESCUE project proposal aims to conduct an experimental field trial leveraging 5G connectivity where an innovative tele-assistance system is deployed and assessed with the focus to improve emergency and disaster response efforts. The tele-assistance system consists in a set of helmets (worn by the operators) that are equipped with a camera sending real-time audio/video streams of the scene of action (e.g., injured person) through the mobile network; and by a web application hosted in a server that allows doctors in an Operations Center to directly access the front view of the operators and communicate with them to assess the patient situation and guide their intervention. Thanks to the 6G-SANDBOX project, the proposed system will leverage on the attributes proposed by the 5GTN network in the Oulu testbed to integrate with the 5G network features provided by it and test its performance under different conditions.

The system's performance was evaluated during experimentation across various network scenarios, focusing on the transition from 4G connectivity, currently used by the system, to 5G connectivity provided by the 5GTN (at Oulu University), including both 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) networks. A hybrid configuration combining Wi-Fi and 5G was also tested. The results demonstrated significant performance improvements in bandwidth (bit rate increased up to a factor 5) and round-trip time, highlighting 5G's capability to enhance the tele-assistance system's Quality of Service (QoS) in terms of responsiveness and Quality of Experience (QoE) in terms of video stream quality as perceived by the remote doctor. Additionally, tests with different hardware platforms (i.e., Raspberry Pi 3, 4, and 5) revealed that greater computational power positively impacts overall system performance.