Scottish researchers have created an affordable, open-architecture mobile communication network that is critically important for conducting remote medical procedures.
Specialists from the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow used standard, commercial off-the-shelf components to create a 4G LTE cellular network. This network provides an Ultra-Low Latency connection between a controller and a robotic manipulator, which is essential for the precise and real-time execution of a medical procedure.
The researchers proved the functional potential of the system by simulating dental procedures, highlighting the technology’s future application in high-precision medical procedures.
The system is based on the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture. This framework uses Open-Source Software to control and manage the cellular network hardware.
The researchers used a standard USB network adapter (a so-called modem), which is widely used at the consumer level. This adapter established a stable connection between the controller and the robotic device. By using specialized software applications, specifically xApps, it was possible to monitor and optimize the system’s signal quality, Data Rates, and latency.
During laboratory testing, the researchers achieved stable communication with a bandwidth of 10 Megabits per second (Mbps). This high-quality connection allowed the robotic technology to be controlled to perform a simulated dental examination with less than one second of latency and minimal signal loss.
Notably, the system consumes significantly less energy than the Software-defined radio (SDR) system more commonly used for similar tasks. The low-cost system developed by the researchers used only 4.5 watts, which is a 90% reduction compared to the 45 watts used by SDRs to perform the same activities.
The researchers are currently working on further developing the system to ensure the same high-quality performance is possible over greater distances.
