On July 6, at the GTVerse conference at the Gongtiyuan Universe, CCH Group, together with China Mobile and Qualcomm, unveiled the 5G Borderless XR event experience solution to explore the new application of 5G+XR in smart sports scenarios, and a variety of 5G+XR-related cutting-edge technologies were also on display. Dr. Howie Xu, Qualcomm’s head of R&D in China, delivered a keynote speech to reveal how 5G+XR can enable a new event experience of “digital reality convergence”.
Smart Worker’s Stadium, bringing exciting events into the metaverse
The Beijing Workers Stadium renovation and rebuilding project (hereinafter referred to as the new industrial stadium) will be officially completed by the end of 2022. As a landmark building in Beijing, the new industrial stadium has 385,000 gross floor area and 68,000 seats, and will continue to carry major events, exhibitions and concerts held at home and abroad. Not only that, this time, the creation of the Gongti Yuan Universe will be based on the huge stadium traffic and private domain traffic of fans and fans, combined with 5G and XR to achieve the integration of the physical world with the virtual and digital worlds. For example, users can invite partners and family and friends to watch the game together in the virtual stadium, and no matter where they are, they can also feel the live atmosphere together with the live fans in the ITRC meta-universe and cheer for the wonderful performance in real-time.
To achieve such an experience requires a combination of 5G and XR technology. XR includes AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality), which brings all our senses together into the digital world through technologies such as headsets, rendering, and spatial positioning. XR headsets need to support ultra-high definition resolution, real-time rendering, and ultra-low latency, and also need to address issues such as heat and battery life, which is not a simple matter.
With 5G’s ultra-large bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and high reliability, many of XR’s pain points can be solved: ultra-large bandwidth allows us to put most of the AI computing and large-scale rendering in the cloud or edge cloud, solving the problems of heat and battery life of XR headset; 5G’s ultra-low latency supports spatial positioning, six-degree-of-freedom pose tracking, as well as eye tracking and gesture recognition, allowing users to move from action to 5G’s high reliability also provides large-scale download and upload capabilities, enabling users to have a high-speed and smooth 5G experience even when they are in the new industrial site where tens of thousands of people gather.
The “5G Borderless XR Event Experience Solution” released this time combines XR, 5G and edge cloud computing, which is expected to bring innovative sports applications such as panoramic free view event live broadcast and immersive game viewing to users, allowing exciting events to step into the meta-universe. Among them, the super cloud network of the meta-universe of industrial sports has become a powerful platform to support the implementation of more innovative applications. The XR headset can be connected to the edge cloud supported by the ITRI through the 5G network, and relying on the ITRI meta-universe system architecture that supports separate rendering, it can realize virtual viewing, virtual concerts, virtual exhibitions, etc.
Cutting-edge technologies on display, looking ahead to innovative applications
Qualcomm and many partners also showcased a number of cutting-edge technologies at the launch event. For example, Qualcomm and China Mobile demonstrated Boundless XR (Boundless XR) technology, which enables XR users to use 5G to collaborate with the edge cloud side for real-time rendering under a separated rendering architecture while combining locally optimized rendering on the XR terminal side to provide a low latency immersive and boundless XR experience. This solution is based on the Akiyon Dream Pro VR all-in-one (with Snapdragon XR2 platform), Xiaomi smartphones (with Snapdragon mobile platform), 5G home small base stations developed by China Mobile Research Institute in conjunction with World Torch and Gongjin (based on Qualcomm FSM100 5G RAN platform), and immersive interactive content provided by DangHongQiTian and based on SoReal VR distributed content platform management together.
Galaxy Weir Technology also showcased its self-developed 3D interactive live streaming product – GVR “Second Live”, which synchronizes the training live from the remote training base with immersive images and cool AR effects to the launch site in real-time. The QIYI Dream Pro VR all-in-one machine. This uses Beijing Mobile’s 5G slicing network and 5G CPE devices equipped with Snapdragon 5G modem and RF system.
The Dream Pro VR all-in-one showcased the computer vision-based “Light Catcher” 6DoF interaction system. The system can realize head and hand dual 6DoF spatial body positioning, and handle positioning accuracy can reach millimeter level. It is equipped with a Snapdragon XR2 platform, with 8GB large memory, and 4K ultra-high display.
Through a number of cutting-edge technology demonstrations, we can get a glimpse of the innovative application scenarios of 5G+XR. Boundless XR technology supported by
The “Second Site” shows another possibility in the meta-universe of the industrial stadium, allowing fans and players to be free from a distance. In the future, people can also experience the digital avatar to watch the game and enjoy the grand virtual fireworks show in person; the 6DoF interaction system “Chasing Light” shows more tactile integration between people and the digital world, making the integration of digital and real more practical.
Join hands with ecological innovation to welcome new opportunities of digital-real integration
Qualcomm has been present in many new technologies from the meta-universe to the show. In fact, for many years, Qualcomm has been physically working to promote the development of XR from solutions to ecological investment. In terms of solutions, Qualcomm has now launched two generations of XR platforms: the Snapdragon XR1 platform, the world’s first XR-specific platform, and the Snapdragon XR2 platform, the world’s first 5G XR platform, with a number of partners including meta Quest, Lenovo, The Snapdragon XR2 platform, the world’s first 5G XR platform, has many partners including meta Quest, Lenovo and HTC VIVE, and more than 50 VR/AR devices based on the above platforms have been released worldwide.
In terms of eco-investment, Qualcomm Ventures has established the XR Industry Investment Alliance and signed up more than 30 investment institutions, with the goal of accelerating innovation, scale and maturity in the XR field; it has also held four consecutive Qualcomm XR Innovation Application Challenges and set up a number of XR Innovation Centres in conjunction with domestic provincial and municipal governments, etc. All of this is to enable the XR ecosystem to grow faster and better.
There is no doubt that Qualcomm is combining the power of its eco-partners in China and around the world to accelerate innovation and maturity in the 5G+XR space. It is conceivable that after the digital-real fusion experience begins to spread, perhaps the efficiency of R&D, production and quality inspection in digital factories will be improved a lot; students can have face-to-face contact with dinosaurs and planets in digital classrooms, which is educational and fun; people can preview and experience virtual goods of the same size at home in real-time when shopping, with higher transaction rates …… The innovation and maturity in the field of 5G+XR will change people’s entertainment, learning and shopping experience while driving a new round of industrial change, creating a more immersive, intelligent and connected digital-real convergence future for people.
