Low Latency Video Streaming System for VR Teleoperation over 5G Networks

With the introduction of 5G networks, high-speed low-latency network connections became available for mobile and embedded devices without the limited range of WiFi networks. Although the source and the destination can now be hundreds of kilometres away, the communication between them can be flawless. Our goal is to have a low cost, low power, lightweight device that is able to stream video for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles), mobile robot teleoperation over 5G networks to AR/VR (augmented/virtual reality) applications, to large distances without the need for line of sight. In this paper we compare the latency of existing low cost video streamer solutions (UAV camera streaming, single board computer) and present a custom hardware-software solution optimized for low latency, while conducting measurements over different network types (wired, campus 5G, public 5G). We have shown that the custom device was able to achieve with significantly lower latency (50–80 ms direct over direct connection, about 100–150 ms over public 5G).