Ambulances go smart: Pisa trials ambulances with 5G and augmented reality
The trial of Use Case 8 – “Smart Ambulance,” part of the European TrialsNet (Trials supported by Smart Networks beyond 5G) project, coordinated by Ericsson Italia and funded by the European Commission through the Horizon-JU-SNS-2022 program. The Institute of Clinical Physiology of the National Research Council of Pisa (Cnr-Ifc) collaborated in the design and implementation of the project.
The trial focused on an advanced network infrastructure based on beyond 5G technologies, capable of ensuring ultra-fast, stable, and efficient connectivity even when mobile and in remote areas. This is a key enabler for the emergency medicine of the future, capable of transforming ambulances into intelligent nodes that are interconnected and perfectly integrated into the healthcare system.
The infrastructure tested allows real-time transmission of video, diagnostic images, and large volumes of clinical data with very low latency. On board the ambulance, thanks to the integration of new-generation audio-video devices and augmented and virtual reality headsets, the operator can collaborate in real time with the remote specialist, improving the quality and timeliness of patient care already during transport. Advanced diagnostic tools for cardiac diseases were also tested during the trial, demonstrating how networks beyond 5G can enable new modes of clinical intervention in emergency scenarios.
With this trial, Pisa consolidates its role as a laboratory city for next-generation networks, paving the way for scenarios in which network infrastructure becomes the real enabler for advanced digital healthcare applications and innovative services to support citizens.
The interdisciplinary collaboration involving the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence
The project is the result of interdisciplinary collaboration between centers of excellence. Ericsson Research provided the infrastructure solutions with advanced end-to-end orchestration capabilities. TIM provided the network infrastructure, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa contributed its expertise in the field of augmented reality, while the Gabriele Monasterio Foundation of Tuscany oversaw the clinical validation of the tested solutions.
The trial was made possible thanks to the fundamental collaboration of the Pisa Public Assistance Service, which made an ambulance and its operators available for the duration of the test for simulation trials on patients suffering from STEMI cardiac arrest: a valuable contribution that allowed the proposed solutions to be validated in a real, operational context.
