Tenth Orange Research and Innovation Exhibition opens
Orange has unveiled a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) that will make networks run faster and further. The invention is one of ten on display to business customers, partners and employees at the tenth annual Research and Innovation Exhibition in Châtillon, near Paris, until October 20.
The three key exhibition themes this year are the networks of the future, artificial intelligence and benefiting society and the environment. Orange’s mission is to build the present and prepare the future through positive impacts on people, society and the planet, made by its creativity. Among the highlights of its Hello Future innovation showcase are quantum computing for cybersecurity, a new vision for retail and the reconfigurable intelligence surface.
Quantum computing’s impact on cybersecurity will be demonstrated through encrypted video streaming and Orange is running it over its fibre network using quantum key distribution. This system uses cryptographic techniques to ensure the confidentiality of communications and to make any intrusion by a hacker immediately detectable during the key exchange process. This trial is carried out as part of the Paris Region QCI project funded by the Ile-de-France region and led by Orange. It uses the QKD system created by ID Quantique, IPsec Mistral encryption gateways by Thales and was made possible through a creative collaboration with Sorbonne University.
Orange said its latest Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) prototype can boost network speed and coverage without generating additional waves. It was designed in Orange’s laboratories in Sophia-Antipolis, with its partners, in the framework of the European Union-funded project RISE-6G. Orange is the first operator in Europe to demonstrate this low power consumption technology which has promising overtures for sustainable 6G.
The computer vision for retail demonstration, in collaboration with 66degrees and Google Cloud, uses instant analysis of HD video images to automatically detect missing products on shop shelves, making it easier to restock. The combination of edge computing and 5G offers significant computing power to run Artificial Intelligence, high bandwidth and maintain a high level of data confidentiality. These are the foundations for all computer vision-based use cases, be they the retail, smart city or industry sectors, says Orange.
The event includes twelve mini-conferences covering the Metaverse, ethical AI, network resilience, cybersecurity, quantum communication and satellite networks.
“This show highlights the major contributions of our research and innovation teams as well as our industry and academic ecosystem to the construction of a digital future that is useful to all, respecting the individual, society and the planet,” said Michaël Trabbia, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Orange.
For an alternative vision of the future, the event My thesis in three minutes promises verbal jousting between French PhD students pitching their research projects to an audience of technical and non-technical people. You can watch the fireworks here.