Qualcomm and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport are conducting field trials to test high-speed wireless download of vehicle sensor information utilizing 802.11ad Wi-Fi technology in the 60 GHz band.
Initial testing was conducted during the Formula 1 US Grand Prix in the 2016 season and will be extended during the British Grand Prix in July. During these field trials, race engineers utilize both 5 GHz 802.11ac and Multi-gigabit 802.11ad Wi-Fi technology, which operates in the millimeter wave (mmWave) 60GHz band, to gather data directly from the Team’s race car while in, or approaching the garage. The handover between the two 802.11 modes are handled automatically as radio conditions dictate throughput performance. Racecar telemetry data pulled via Wi-Fi using the 5 GHz spectrum included tire data utilizing thermal cameras.
Qualcomm said the goal of the trial is to accelerate how quickly and efficiently data can be pulled from the vehicle, as well as help evaluate vehicle performance under extreme race conditions, helping with quicker assessments and less time in the pit lane.
“Qualcomm Technologies has been leading the way in creating a robust 802.11ad ecosystem, helping industry leaders introduce the first commercial smartphones, access points, notebooks and adapters using our 802.11ad chips. 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi technology can also address the growing need of bandwidth for content-rich applications in homes, offices and cars. We look forward to continuing this trial with the Mercedes-AMG
