DURBAN - The 2018 Vodacom Durban July will see Vodacom working with Nokia to demonstrate the future of Virtual Reality through the use of 5G.
The VR experience will demonstrate the high speed and low latency capabilities of 5G and with the use of 4K video cameras will record and stream live footage from two different positions at the Greyville racecourse where the Durban July horserace will be taking place.
The cameras will then broadcast live, 360-degree feed over 5G to the Vodacom hospitality suite where the guests will be able to experience the deeds from the racecourse through VR headsets. Through this experience, guests will be virtually transported into live scenes from the races of the day.
Another 5G enabled related VR experience will also be showcased at the Vodacom Durban July in the form of a VR penalty shootout. High speeds and extremely low latency will be very important to the reality of the experience.
The VR penalty shootout experience will allow participants to feel the contrast between the different latencies which are common with 4G and 5G networks by adding different reaction times.
The penalty shootout experience will give participants the experience of feeling as though they are actually in the stadium facing a goalkeeper.
Chief Technology Officer at Vodacom, Andries Delport said, "Out future will be characterised by a range of new technologies that are fusing our physical and digital worlds".
He added that robotics and super-realistic virtual and augmented realities are characteristics of this era and these new technologies need high-speed and low-latency that only 5G network can offer.