AAI Labs started three 5G-related projects

AAI Labs participates in three projects aimed at developing next-generation 5G-based technologies in Lithuania. For this 5G Sandbox program, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has secured EUR 24.5 million funded by the European Union economic recovery and resilience instrument NextGenerationEU, of which more than EUR 5 million will be dedicated to the projects AAI Labs participates in.

5G and Artificial Intelligence-based Public Transport Optimisation System

AAI Labs is leading the consortium for developing a transport optimisation and recommendation system based on 5G and IoT solutions, in partnership with Vilnius City Municipality, the city’s public transport authority JUDU, Vilnius University, and an innovative company INNTEC.

Several small-scale systems are currently available on the market to capture traffic and make decisions. However, no system on the market collects data from 5G access users, captures incidents with fixed and mobile cameras, and provides conclusions based on the data collected. The project aims to develop a system that can capture transport and road user-related incidents with the help of fixed and mobile cameras, 5G connectivity and IoT solutions, and provide relevant recommendations, including route suggestions, traffic alerts, public transport load forecasts, etc.

The consortium has estimated that congestion forecasting will help to significantly free up traffic flows in the city, while road condition data will help to prioritise road works and thus improve traffic conditions. Additionally, route trend data will allow necessary changes to existing routes to accommodate popular destinations and reduce the number of changes required. Bus telemetry data will allow analysis of the technical condition of the buses and to plan for repairs if necessary, with drivers being able to react to the system's suggestions and adjust their route, thus saving time and vehicle resources. 

Thanks to the developed system, more people will be encouraged to use public transport, increasing travel convenience and reducing potential accidents. Drivers will spend less time on the road, which will not only improve the traffic flow in the city by improving connectivity and reducing pollution but also make it safer and more liveable. 

Application of 5G Technologies in Unmanned Aircraft Base Stations

Together with consortium leader DBOX and other partners, AAI Labs will be responsible for developing an innovative UAV base station and a mini-class UAV and loading station system based on 5G technology for monitoring urban transport infrastructure. 

This project aims to modify base stations with 5G technology to provide fully automatic monitoring of urban transport infrastructure and statistics using advanced photogrammetry and intelligent image recognition technologies, thus creating the world's first 5G technology-based drone base station system able to fully automatically change the drone's batteries when the drone's weight is below 1 kg. Currently, there are no such base station systems in the world. 

5G and AI-based drones will enable cities that strive to be smarter to make better use of their transport network, integrating it into intelligent traffic flow and infrastructure management systems.

5G Innovation in Transport Sector: Intelligent Route Planning and Management

As a member of the consortium led by Kautra – one of the largest private transportation companies in the Baltics, – AAI Labs will contribute to developing a system for optimising intercity public transport. The project aims to launch a system that, with the help of scanners, mobile cameras, 5G and AI, will be able to record passenger or driver-related events, identify passengers based on the available documents and automatically apply a discount, providing relevant dynamic pricing recommendations (i.e., better pricing based on the predicted load and/or the passenger's personalised travel history).

Although dynamic pricing, passenger flow and driver status monitoring solutions are currently available on the market, their implementation is rather limited. The innovative product will combine several sub-systems into one, all to provide more benefits to passengers in the country. Public intercity transport passengers will experience increased convenience thanks to fast ticket scanning and identification of the discount card inside the bus without additional driver intervention. The use of 5G will make this process quicker, ensuring a smooth boarding process, while dynamic pricing combined with mobile cameras capturing flows will be able to apply personalised price offers.

Aistis Raudys, CEO of AAI Labs, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of developing next-generation 5G-based technologies in Lithuania. These collaborations signify a strategic move towards leveraging advanced technologies to address current mobility challenges, improve public transport efficiency, and enhance safety and sustainability in urban environments. By integrating 5G and AI, we aim to provide comprehensive solutions that will benefit both the public and the infrastructure, reinforcing Lithuania's position as a leader in digital transformation.”

All projects are expected to end by late 2025.