Vodafone has conducted the world’s first 5G shirt signing, bringing Lions players into a live autograph signing using a 5G robotic arm.
With supporters unable to travel to South Africa, Vodafone aimed to bring fans closer to the tour with the ‘8,000 Mile Auto5Graph’.
After inviting a group of rugby super fans to meet Lions heroes not in South Africa, the brand then brought the fans to see the 5G-powered robot, which was controlled by the Lions players in South Africa. The players then wrote a personal message onto a Lions jersey in real time.
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The stunt used a precision robot, motion control technology, and Vodafone 5G network, allowing the players to sign the jerseys from more than 8,000 miles (12,800 kms) away. Using a tablet and a stylus in South Africa, players moved a robotic arm based in London, which mirrored the player’s hand movements, allowing them to write directly onto the fan’s jersey in real-time, while chatting on a video call.
