Samsung Electronics has demonstrated a new drone-based antenna configuration measurement solution that will allow engineers to inspect 5G base stations remotely.
The solution allows engineers to use a smartphone to remotely control camera-equipped drones, the company said. The drone is used to capture photos of antennas on rooftops or base station towers, which is viewable from the smartphone and sent to the cloud. A deep learning, artificial intelligence (AI) solution then verifies the rotation and tilt of the antennas, allowing engineers to determine whether the they were installed correctly at predefined optimal angels. Samsung commenced trial for the service at its headquarters in Suwon.
The automated solution will give operators a more efficient way to manage cell cites, improve employee safety and optimize network performance, the company said.
The solution will launch globally later this year. The South Korean tech giant also said it will continue to update the solution __ it will add additional features that will allow field engineers to remotely adjust the antenna tilts from their mobile devices or PCs, instead of having to climb up to them.
“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, in a statement. “The solution 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.”
