Autonomous vehicles in the context of Teleoperation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximize their chances of achieving defined goals.

High-profile applications of AI include advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search); recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix); virtual assistants (e.g., Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa); autonomous vehicles (e.g., Waymo); generative and creative tools (e.g., language models and AI art); and superhuman play and analysis in strategy games (e.g., chess and Go). However, many AI applications are not perceived as AI: "A lot of cutting edge AI has filtered into general applications, often without being called AI because once something becomes useful enough and common enough it's not labeled AI anymore."

Teleoperation (or remote operation) indicates operation of a system or machine at a distance. It is similar in meaning to the phrase "remote control" but is usually encountered in research, academia and technology. It is most commonly associated with robotics and mobile robots but can be applied to a whole range of circumstances in which a device or machine is operated by a person from a distance.

Teleoperation can be considered a human-machine system. For example, ArduPilot provides a spectrum of autonomy ranging from manual control to full autopilot for autonomous vehicles.

In the field of artificial intelligence, an inference engine is a software component of an intelligent system that applies logical rules to the knowledge base to deduce new information. The first inference engines were components of expert systems. The typical expert system consisted of a knowledge base and an inference engine. The knowledge base stored facts about the world. The inference engine applied logical rules to the knowledge base and deduced new knowledge. This process would iterate as each new fact in the knowledge base could trigger additional rules in the inference engine. Inference engines work primarily in one of two modes either special rule or facts: forward chaining and backward chaining. Forward chaining starts with the known facts and asserts new facts. Backward chaining starts with goals, and works backward to determine what facts must be asserted so that the goals can be achieved.

Additionally, the concept of 'inference' has expanded to include the process through which trained neural networks generate predictions or decisions. In this context, an 'inference engine' could refer to the specific part of the system, or even the hardware, that executes these operations. This type of inference plays a crucial role in various applications, including (but not limited to) image recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous vehicles. The inference phase in these applications is typically characterized by a high volume of data inputs and real-time processing requirements.

5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology and the successor to 4G. First deployed in 2019, its technical standards are developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in cooperation with the ITU’s IMT-2020 program. 5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells, enabling devices to connect to local base stations via radio. Each station connects to the broader telephone network and the Internet through high-speed optical fiber or wireless backhaul.

Compared to 4G, 5G offers significantly faster data transfer speed—up to 10 Gbit/s in tests—and lower latency, with response times of just a few milliseconds. These advancements allow networks to support more users and applications such as extended reality, autonomous vehicles, remote surgery trials, and fixed wireless access for home Internet access. 5G also supports massive connectivity for sensors and machines, commonly referred to as the Internet of things (IoT), and leverages edge computing to improve data processing efficiency.