Verizon drives in 5G for spectators and autonomous retail at Formula 1 event

For music enthusiasts, the app gives a view of performances by artists like Post Malone with three 360-degree camera angles and 4K audio through a 5G augmented reality portal.

If a guest needs a beverage or a snack, visitors can go to a shop offering autonomous shopping. Developed by AiFi, the store uses Verizon’s 5G Wideband and mobile edge compute to allow customers to tap their credit card upon entry, make a purchase quickly, and leave with a receipt sent via text to their phone. It also includes computer vision technology that tracks items as they leave shelves. By being powered on the edge, Verizon says the AiFi autonomous store moves heavy computing done by hardware on the premises to the cloud, making it portable, cost-efficient, and scalable.

An example of the AiFi autonomous shopping store at the Indianapolis 500 sporting event
Source3: AiFi

“Verizon is laser-focused on creating new 5G-powered innovations, unearthing what’s possible using the power of our network and working with partners to transform industries ranging from sports to retail,” says Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of Verizon Technology and product development. “This is a great opportunity to reimagine the fan and shopping experience at sporting events. This is only the tip of the iceberg as to the experiences that 5G and edge compute can unlock.”

Other 5G fan enhancements at sporting events include Major League Soccer team Columbus Crew’s partnership with Vertiv, and MK Dons trialing 5G-enabled in-stadia broadcasts at its matches.

Article Topics

5G  |  AiFi  |  AR/VR  |  autonomous shopping  |  MEC  |  Verizon