SEG-JPEG: Simple Visual Semantic Communications for Remote Operation of Automated Vehicles over Unreliable Wireless Networks

TL;DR

This paper presents a semantic communication method for remote automated vehicle operation that reduces data rate requirements by encoding semantic information, enabling low-latency control over unreliable wireless networks.

Contribution

It introduces a computer vision assisted semantic communication technique that encodes road user information into low-resolution images, significantly reducing data rates needed for remote vehicle control.

Findings

Reduces data rate by 50% compared to traditional image compression.

Achieves median latency below 200ms at data rates under 500kbit/s.

Demonstrates effectiveness in variable 4G connectivity environments.

Abstract

Remote Operation is touted as being key to the rapid deployment of automated vehicles. Streaming imagery to control connected vehicles remotely currently requires a reliable, high throughput network connection, which can be limited in real-world remote operation deployments relying on public network infrastructure. This paper investigates how the application of computer vision assisted semantic communication can be used to circumvent data loss and corruption associated with traditional image compression techniques. By encoding the segmentations of detected road users into colour coded highlights within low resolution greyscale imagery, the required data rate can be reduced by 50 \% compared with conventional techniques, while maintaining visual clarity. This enables a median glass-to-glass latency of below 200ms even when the network data rate is below 500kbit/s, while clearly outlining salient road users to enhance situational awareness of the remote operator. The approach is demonstrated in an area of variable 4G mobile connectivity using an automated last-mile delivery vehicle. With this technique, the results indicate that large-scale deployment of remotely operated automated vehicles could be possible even on the often constrained public 4G/5G mobile network, providing the potential to expedite the nationwide roll-out of automated vehicles.