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ESA News
http://www.esa.int

3 December 2002
 
Road testing technologies of the future
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ESA is offering industry the opportunity to use a van fully equipped 
to demonstrate the next generation of advanced mobile multimedia 
equipment and applications.

The van can be used as a standard test platform. It offers the user 
ample space, electrical and computing power as well as a comfortable 
working environment. Over the past few months, the Joanneum Research 
institute, under contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), has 
developed an advanced mobile multimedia platform based on a commercial
van. The van will allow experiments and public demonstration of 
advanced mobile services.

The passenger compartment is equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia 
equipment, the van contains a Dolby surround audio system, a DVD 
player, a car navigation system, a radio, a video recorder and a TV 
receiver. Each passenger seat is equipped with its own monitor, 
webcam, keyboard and head set. Four industrial PCs are interconnected 
via a 100 MBit LAN network.

The van also acts as a mobile access point for wireless LAN
applications with data rates of up to 11 Mb/s. Complementing the 
computing facilities are 4 DVD drives, a DVD writer, a scanner and an 
inkjet printer. In addition, the van is equipped with a state of the 
art EGNOS receiver for navigation, a magnetometer/inclinometer for 
determining the car orientation and inclination and a turnable 
satellite array antenna for high speed data transfer via a satellite
link. As a low speed backup for the satellite link the installed GPRS 
capable mobile phone can be used for video conferences using the cars 
PC network.

The rear part of the van forms an isolated compartment holding the 
satellite mobile test equipment and ancillary equipment. It allows the 
installation of up to 100 kg of user equipment, i.e. test beds for 
telecommunication experiments.

Related links

* ESA Telecom homepage
  http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/language/index.cfm?flanguageid=5
* ESA Telecom -- Mobility
  http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=24
* ESA Telecom -- Multimedia van
  http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=6923

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