Last year, Subaru announced the installation of a 5G network at its Bifuka Proving Ground in Hokkaido, Japan, for research and development of automated driving. It uses a local sub-6 5G standalone (SA) network that covers the entire circuit. Hajime Oyama, manager of the technical research center at Subaru Corporation and Fumihito Yamaguchi, a senior engineer at the technical research center, discuss the core mechanics of the 5G network
Please give us an overview of the new 5G network installed at the Bifuka Proving Ground.
HO: At the Bifuka Proving Ground, Subaru has installed a total of seven sub-6 wireless base stations throughout the circuit and introduced a private 5G system. This network connects the autonomous driving server and vehicles on the circuit via 5G communication and is based on Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (NDAC) system. The primary capability of this network is to enable vehicle control functions within cooperative driving automation.
What advantages does the 5G network offer over existing network technologies?
HO: While Subaru has conducted previous trials on cooperative driving automation using low-latency 4G communication, this standalone 5G network allows for even lower latency and faster communication, making it ideal for advanced testing of cooperative driving automation. Cooperative driving automation refers to a system that enables a higher level of autonomous driving by integrating real-time data on traffic and environmental conditions through communication networks, which enhances the capabilities of traditional autonomous systems.
How does the 5G network facilitate the trial of cooperative driving automation?
HO: Cooperative driving automation requires the real-time processing of data from multiple vehicles. The 5G network’s low latency, high connectivity, fast speeds and large data capacity support this data communication. Cooperative driving automation refers to a system that enables a higher level of autonomous driving by integrating real-time data on traffic and environmental conditions through communication networks, which enhances the capabilities of traditional autonomous systems. These trials are in the early stages, and we are currently collecting data and insights. We would like to share updates at relevant future technology announcements.
How close are these trials to replicating actual road conditions or traffic systems?
FY: Since there are limitations on track layout and vehicle numbers, we combine virtual environments on servers to create simulations that are as close to real-world conditions as possible.
Will the 5G network be used to develop Subaru’s series production vehicles?
FY: The 5G network is currently used for testing cooperative driving automation and is not applied in mass-production testing. Our use of the 5G network is strictly limited to various test cases within our preliminary research and development of cooperative autonomous driving systems. For instance, this includes scenarios such as merge assistance. We are not in a position to elaborate on specific tests or provide detailed examples at this time.
How will the data and insights gathered from this 5G-enabled testing influence Subaru’s future vehicle models and autonomous driving technology?
FY: Since we are still in the early stages of data collection and validation, we refrain from commenting further at this point.
