5G-INDUCE – Remote control of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) with 5G network applications
The fifth generation of telecommunications systems or 5G seeks to provide practically omnipresent connectivity to citizens, but it is also used to connect devices to the network. The University of Burgos, as a partner of the 5G-INDUCE project, participates with ABB, Fivecomm, and Cumucore in the development of a 5G platform capable to orchestrate the movement of robots in real time, an advance that can be very useful, practical and efficient in the industrial sector. Specifically, the objective of the 5G-INDUCE project is to build open and cooperative 5G network platforms that allow the demonstration and evaluation of advanced network applications.
Our colleagues from the University of Burgos, Jesús Enrique Sierra García and Eduardo Quevedo Dueñas focuses on uses related to autonomous robots and AGVs (Autonomous Guided Vehicles). Network applications are being developed to enable remote control and orchestration of both indoor and outdoor AGVs, with the aim of developing advanced Industry 4.0 applications. These 5G network applications will provide flexibility and quality for the industrial sector, improving the competitiveness of Spanish companies.
In the demonstrative case that has been prepared at the University of Burgos, there are two robots or AGVs: a large one for outdoors and a small one for indoors. Together, they implement an indoor-outdoor logistics application. Both AGVs send information in real time through the 5G network to the AGV coordination system. They send data such as status, speed, current and battery, among others. The AGV coordination system, considering the state of the vehicles, responds by sending control commands to orchestrate the operation. In addition, the outdoor robot also sends information from a 3D camera in real time. This information is processed in another network application in the 5G core to create visual simultaneous construction and localization maps (VSLAM).
The research video can be found here.
The AGVs have been provided by ABB, the 5G modems have been developed by Fivecomm, and the 5G core has been provided by Cumucore.
Read the original post here.