McLaren Applied – a British technology and technology company that was part of the McLaren Group and which works in the motorsport, automotive, transport, and mining industries – has announced the development of a 5G intelligent edge antenna technology for vehicle applications.

Called Halo 300, the unit offers, according to the company, a ‘game-changing connectivity solution’ for a wide range of operators and industries.

McLaren Applied says the Halo 300 offers increased performance at lower cost and complexity, with high-quality hardware – including Huber+Suhner antenna componentry – and reliable software proven over hundreds of motorsport races.

With edge computing, integrated eSIMs, the built-in power to support additional applications and a CANBUS interface, the company also says that the Halo 300 technology offers future-proofing necessary to take advantage of developments in autonomous travel, software-defined vehicles and the Internet of Things.

The system uses McLaren Applied’s Fleet Connect software, which was originally developed for Formula One and is already deployed on fleets around the world to deliver high-speed passenger WiFi connections, as well as operator uplinks for operational, infrastructure and safety purposes. The company says that by splitting data across networks in real time and reassembling it in the cloud en route to its destination, Fleet Connect increases bandwidth and data throughput, reduces blackspots while providing a consistent connectivity stream.

The Halo 300 system could deliver time and cost savings via the provision of a reliable uplink for real-time remote monitoring, vehicle diagnostics, fleet optimisation, tracking and freight management. A dependable high-bandwidth WiFi connection would also prove useful to passengers on bus, light rail, tram or boats.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (April 2023) 

23 April 2023