Robotics

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are having a big moment during the pandemic, and the drive to cleanliness is a big part of it. Usage of cleaning robots is skyrocketing as automation technologies have been deployed in office and retail environments to sanitize surfaces for a newly germ-conscious public.
How big is the growth? By anecdotal measures, it’s massive. A company called Brain Corp, which provides autonomous solutions that enable OEMs and Robotics Startups to turn manually driven products into autonomous machines, recently finalized 2020 usage data showing remarkable growth over the last year, including 4x growth of the number of BrainOS-powered robots and 6x growth in total square footage covered autonomously by BrainOS robots globally.
“During the last year, we’ve seen shoppers’ expectations for enhanced cleanliness continue to rise,” Josh Baylin, Senior Director of Strategy for Brain Corp, told me in response to the rise in popularity of AMRs for cleaning. “Stores not only need to be clean, they need to show customers that they are actively cleaning. This “proof of work” has become increasingly important, as has the ability for stores to measure their cleaning performance. If a retailer uses an AMR, they are able to track the robot’s operations and get near real-time data that shows the job is getting done.”
Some of the increased usage can be attributed to growing customer approval of robots and autonomous cleaning.
“We’ve also seen retailers increasingly run AMRs during daytime business hours,” says Baylin. “Shoppers appreciate that they can see the floors being cleaned in front of them, and it frees staff to work on higher-value tasks.  We’re seeing our customers embrace automation and use their AMRs to the fullest extent possible. We’ve seen this through a spike in daytime usage, as well as an increase in general usage across the board. It’s not just an increase in the number of deployed robots, it’s also how much those robots are being utilized.”
Brain Corp, which is boasting new deployments with Sam’s Club and Schnucks, is being joined in an increasingly competitive field of cleaning and disinfecting AMRs from companies like Fetch Robotics, which offers flexible autonomous mobile robots traditionally for logistics and inventory applications, and UVD Robots.
“We expect the AMR industry will continue to grow at a rapid pace,” Baylin tells me. “Businesses are seeing the benefits of using robotic automation to tackle routine tasks and free up their staff to handle more important things, such as helping shoppers. Businesses have also become more comfortable with BrainOS-powered AMRs and once they see how efficient an AMR can be, many look to expand their fleet and increase their usage. We also work with customers on future feature requests and integrations that will continue to make our technology more and more useful over time. Enhanced levels of cleaning, increased data collection and reporting, the development of new applications for robots — these innovations will lead to increased deployment and usage, both within retail and grocery as well as in other sectors.”

One of the biggest takeaways is just how dispersed the customer base is becoming for AMRs. What was once a narrow target seems to be expanding rapidly during the pandemic, which is excellent news for the automation sector.
“There are still tremendous growth opportunities for AMRs in all public-facing commercial sectors. Brain Corp is helping onboard new customers across retail, grocery, malls, education, healthcare, airports, and warehouses.” More

Commercial drones are still at the starting line in the U.S., but as the FAA begins loosening regulations the sector is primed to take off. Wireless charging, which is helping robots of all stripes operate independently and with less downtime could have a number of benefits for drones as well.
“This year marks an inflection point for robot adoption, from mobile robots to aerial drones, even extending to underwater and space-based robots,” says Ben Waters, CEO and co-founder of WiBotic, which makes wireless charging solutions for the automation sector. “Organizations that have evaluated small numbers of robots in the past are now realizing ROI, and are pivoting to scale-up.”
WiBotic, which we’ve been tracking closely, made headlines late last year for an ambitious project to bring its wireless charging technology to the moon. The company’s focus on industrial wireless charging has caught on among automation developers in spaces like robots and drones. Last year the company was granted equipment authorization for high power transmitters and receivers from the FCC. The transmitters provide up to 300 watts of wireless power via inductive charging, the first time the FCC had granted approval of this sort of technology for use in mobile robots and other devices with larger batteries.
As another federal agency, the FAA, begins to lift the embargo on commercial drone operations over people, the table is set for a dovetailing of enterprise drones and wireless charging. One reasons is that wireless charging could extend drone range. Drones can only typically fly for 30 min or less on a single battery charge, meaning routine inspections over long distances (such as for power lines) require multiple stops along the way for drones to recharge their batteries. Those charging stations could be basic landing pads or they could be fully protective drone hangars, such as the Drone Matrix YACOB. Wireless charging drastically simplifies the landing process by making it unnecessary for the drone to dock precisely with a charging station. 
Further, when dealing with distributed fleets of enterprise drones, such as delivery or inspection drones, it would be important to have visibility into the charging process to make sure each drone is fully charged at the correct voltage. LiPo drone batteries are finicky and need to be charged correctly, which means having control over charge voltage and speed. Downtime is also costly in an operation that relies on carefully coordinated logistics, and optimizing charging times and speeds based on operational needs would be advantageous.
None of that is directly related to wireless charging, except that in its application in robotics wireless charging solutions are ideally deployed across fleets. WiBotic’s recently released Commander system also offers the ability to potentially increase flight and battery safety via programmable and coordinated chargers.
“Commander was created to address these efforts by providing our customers with unparalleled insight into how their robots consume energy,” says Waters, “how to minimize robot downtime and predict failures before they happen; even how to evaluate and compare performance across different battery types and vendors.” 

The Commander software allows users to configure those settings remotely and to customize settings for different drones.  With the advanced features, charging can also be controlled to extend battery lifespan. For instance, it negatively impacts lithium batteries to be charged at the maximum speed every time. Commander can be used to slow down the charge speed when another flight is not immediately needed, or speed it back up when it is. These types of practices can double the lifespan of a drone battery, but a software console is needed in order to implement them.
It’s early days yet, but as the commercial drone sector matures we’re seeing convergence technologies long confined to development coming online in the enterprise. The future of commercial drone flight for many fleet applications may well be wireless. More

The AI market for the transportation industry is big and getting a lot bigger. In fact, it’s projected to grow at a compound annual rate of nearly 18% from 2017 to 2030, with its size increasing to $10.3 billion by 2030.
Commercial trucking, beset with labor shortages and safety concerns, stands to benefit enormously, but the adoption curve is steep. While the buzz around autonomous trucks has made headlines, the reality is that AI will have a much larger impact for the foreseeable future, but it’s implementation will also present challenges — challenges that have echoes in just about any industry or sector confronting a major digital transformation. 
I caught up with Avi Geller, CEO of fleet management company Maven (Machines) and MIT alum, who believes that AI is central to solving some of the logistics industry’s most pressing problems and creating efficiencies not possible before. His insights are a master class on the changes and opportunities confronting one of the sectors that’s become a canary in the coal mine for AI implementation.
GN: Heading into 2021, what are the most pressing problems facing the trucking and logistics sectors? Another way to phrase this, where are the opportunities for innovation?
Avi Geller: The opportunities for innovation within the trucking and logistics sectors are endless. As an industry that has been transforming with the advent of digital solutions, companies are now reaping the benefits of technology. Some of the most important examples of digital transformation and technological implementation relate to core operational capabilities in trucking. For example, planning, route optimization, and mobile workflow tools that are used by fleets via software applications have already started demonstrating the benefits of innovation and solving some of the most pressing problems, and they will continue to do so in the future.
Route optimization software, strengthened by ongoing advancements in AI and machine learning, will continue to provide fleets with an abundance of knowledge and efficiency gains. The ability to automatically plan and optimize routes significantly better than before — all while taking the data and variables into account that only route planners and dispatchers typically know, like driver skillset and which routes are the most challenging — will give planners and dispatchers more time to focus on the unique cases that require advanced planning experience.
The concept of a “workflow” isn’t new. However, truck drivers haven’t always been enabled with a mobile-first workflow experience to guide them through the right steps for each stop they make on a trip. Opportunities exist to enable drivers with technology that makes their lives easier so that they can focus more on driving. Improving the driver experience has become an increasingly important initiative for fleets as they look for ways to combat the national driver shortage and retain their drivers. In turn, these cloud-based software solutions also keep fleet managers abreast of driver productivity in real time. This is a win-win for both fleet managers and drivers.

GN: What are some ways that AI, as opposed to full autonomy, can help address these problems/opportunities? Are we talking about in-truck solutions, dispatch solutions, or both?
Avi Geller: AI can be used for both in-truck and dispatch solutions. From a driver’s perspective, we can use AI to build a better route for them, and increasingly, positively impact the kind of decisions that they make. It goes deeper than determining when a driver should arrive at a destination on their route though. AI algorithms can help predict the ideal time of day to schedule a delivery, taking into account a variety of factors, such as when the shipper is the least busy so that a driver is less likely to have to wait in line at a loading facility. Fleets can use AI to help drivers be more productive, while also increasing fleetwide efficiency.
GN: Autonomous trucking has been getting a lot of ink. Why do you believe AI solutions can be deployed on a more realistic timeframe than automation? What is that timeframe?
Avi Geller: We’re already seeing AI solutions deployed at a rapid rate. Fleets have started to prioritize AI-assisted route planning solutions in order to better meet demand, speed up processes, and enhance the driver experience. Fleets can now take performance-based assignments and multiple variables — like traffic, weather, and road conditions — into account.
Regarding autonomous trucking solutions, I believe we’ll see the adoption of remote-controlled trucking before we see fully autonomous trucks hit the market. In remote-controlled trucking, trucks are driven remotely by individuals in another location, assisted by sensors and cameras on the truck. It’s an interesting use case, as remote-controlled trucking could be the bridge to getting to fully autonomous trucking, or at least a major piece of the puzzle. Most likely though, this technology will not become standard until 5G and remote driver training are more widely adopted. Both are necessary components to the success of autonomous and remote trucking.
GN: Are we seeing a market willingness to adopt these solutions? How are customers responding to the rapid technology shifts in the industry, and how are AI developers in logistics making their pitch?
Avi Geller: The trucking and transportation industries have an unfair reputation of being unable and unwilling to change when it comes to processes and technology. In my experience, fleets are looking for automation and technologically advanced solutions to help streamline their operations, allowing them to boost efficiency and profitability.
Demand is high throughout most sectors of the trucking industry. The industry is also experiencing a driver shortage, which is causing a strain on fleets as they work to meet customer demand. Many fleet executives and managers realize that the way to navigate these circumstances involves using AI, data, and analytics to their fleet’s advantage. Fleets need software that decreases planning time and optimizes operations so that freight moves seamlessly. The demand for AI is only increasing as on-time pickups and deliveries become more critical and the bar for fleets to compete successfully gets higher.
GN: What do you see the industry’s technological trajectory looking like over the next 5-10 years? What are the changes we can expect to see, and what kinds of adoption patterns can we expect?
Avi Geller: The big technology talking points in trucking for a while now have been autonomous and remote driving. While important and critical to the development of the industry, I believe that one of the more impactful developments over the next few years will also be in the realm of AI-powered, cloud-based fleet management solutions and automation gains. In terms of adoption patterns, we can expect to see drivers, managers, and other fleet employees become more comfortable with, and even feel empowered by, the added operational management capabilities and the seamless user experience that AI-based solutions can offer within the next 5-10 years. We will also see more cloud-based software deployments happening remotely, and more fleets will adopt digital planning, billing, and management tools as they move towards a paperless work environment.
There’s still a lot of work to be done to maximize the potential of AI and machine learning though. The incorporation of predictive algorithms into these solutions will allow fleets to take a giant leap. By using historical and real-time data, instead of relying primarily on unwritten tribal knowledge, fleets can more accurately predict demand, plan shipments, and optimize routes going forward. Equipped with the predictive technology and business insight afforded by AI, fleets can gain a competitive edge by properly preparing for internal and industry-wide changes well in advance. More

Taxis that fly and giant drones that lift people and cargo. Cue the jokes, but the reality is we’re finally getting tantalizingly close to our flying cars.
How close? Consider that there’s a major testbed in the works and by 2022 we’re going to see the largest deployment of air vehicles in urban environments ever. Called Air Mobility Urban – Large Experimental Demonstrations (AMU-LED for short), the project will be the largest undertaking of its kind with a consortium of 17 companies, organizations, and municipalities across the United States and Europe. The project takes final form next year with more than 100 hours of air vehicle test flights over cities in the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.
Urban Air Mobility is the catch-all phrase for a new kind of air travel and transport, one that combines state of the art propulsion and battery technologies with advances in robotics, machine vision, and AI. The result could be a fundamental rethinking of how we navigate in and around cities. 
Companies such as ANRA Technologies, a drone software company, will participate in the project, which is part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020, the biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion of funding deployed over the past seven years. The European Union has been pushing to harmonize rules pertaining to drones, an effort that will unlock significant commercial potential in the UAV and UAM sectors.
[embedded content]
“ANRA Technologies will play a vital role in the AMU-LED project by providing its SmartSkies advanced airspace management and simulation software platforms, says Amit Ganjoo, Founder and CEO. “ANRA’s solutions and domain expertise will enable various simulated and live eVTOL operations in multiple large scale scenarios, use cases and applications in Europe and the UK.”
Other participants include Airbus, AirHub, Altitude Angel, Boeing Research & Technology-Europe, Fada-Catec, Cranfield University, EHang, Enaire, Gemeente Amsterdam, Ineco, ITG, Jeppesen, NLR, Space53 and Tecnalia.
The showcase is ambitions, with exercises involving different unmanned aerial systems aimed at demonstrating air taxi operations, cargo transport, delivery of goods and medical equipment, inspection of infrastructures, police surveillance, and emergency services support. For many companies, it’s a chance to showcase products and tools that could become lynchpins of a new mobility paradigm.

“We have been developing airspace management technology since 2015, continually iterating and updating our software platform to ensure safe, efficient and secure operations for today’s Unmanned Aerial Systems and tomorrow’s Urban Air Mobility aircraft,” says Ganjoo. “Our SmartSkies platform was recently deployed for NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign and we will build upon that success with AMU-LED to develop robust simulations leading to live flights trials with our eVTOL partners.”
The data collected from the tests will help regulatory agencies forge a path ahead to create a framework for unmanned flight in urban areas. Selected venues for the trials were announced in January and include Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Cranfield in the United Kingdom, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. More

Following now-Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation this week, the enterprise drone sector is abuzz over what the next four years may bring in terms of drone regulation. The FAA has taken a methodical and decidedly cautious approach to enterprise drone restrictions, but over the last few months, and on the heels of substantial testing and stakeholder outreach, the agency has begun to put in place a regulatory framework to guide more robust adoption of unmanned commercial drones over populated areas.
Of course, many in the industry feel the agency can do more to encourage a sector that could be worth more than $43 billion globally over the next few years.
Which brings us back to the man known affectionately for the past few years as Mayor Pete. The 39-year-old doesn’t have a track record in federal transportation regulation, but industry insiders are reading the tea leaves of his Navy Reserve experience and infrastructure oversight as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and there’s reasons to be hopeful.
To find out why I reached out to Romeo Durscher, Vice President at drone software company Auterion, for insights. One of the drone industry’s top executives and a highly experienced leader in aerospace and unmanned aerial systems, Durscher joined Auterion from DJI, where he held the role of Senior Director of Public Safety Integration. During Romeo’s six years at DJI he built the Public Safety vertical and has become a well known and respected thought leader in the space. His opinions here are his own, but they give good context to and insight on sentiment within the sector. 
GN: Why is this a critical moment to be paying attention to the regulatory environment surrounding commercial drones, and what’s the top line takeaway as we head into Secretary Buttigieg’s oversight of FAA?
Romeo Durscher: The next few years are absolutely critical for the United States to meet the exploding demand for drones in government and business. What the COVID pandemic has taught us is that this technology is essential for public safety. Steps have already been taken by the U.S. government to enable the national drone industry and President Biden has previously expressed support for additional investment in essential US technology. Pete Buttigieg has a proven track record of embracing autonomous vehicle technology and understanding the benefits that it can offer; he was the driving force behind initiatives to position South Bend as a testbed for drones and wireless technology. We’re optimistic that, as Secretary of Transportation, he will set the tone for a positive, open environment where we can continue to expand upon the milestones achieved to date and accelerate the safe and valuable use of drones.
GN: What do you think he brings to the table in terms of experience or outlook?

Romeo Durscher: Pete Buttigieg brings a very fresh perspective. As a former intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and former mayor, he brings a very broad understanding to the table, from understanding the needs of new technologies in both defense but also emergency services, to the challenges of regulatory complexities. His desire to enforce safety standards will also help the entire UAV industry.
GN: Give us a snapshot of the FAA’s recent enterprise drone rule making. What have the trends been over the last couple years, and what kinds of reactions are we seeing within the industry?Romeo Durscher: Today drones represent the fastest-growing segment in the entire transportation sector, with over 1.7 million drone registrations in the USA and over 203,000 FAA-certified Remote Pilots.After the implementation of Part 107 to certify remote pilots for commercial operations, progress slowed down a little. In December 2020 the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Authority announced two very much anticipated rules for advanced safety and innovation in the USA. One the Remote Identification rules, so drones broadcast an “electronic license plate”, which then also allows for small drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions.Addressing safety, security and privacy concerns, while also advancing opportunities for innovation and utilization of drone technology is the current goal of the industry. This allows for more focused commercial drone use-cases while ensuring transparency, which continues to benefit public acceptance and support.  
GN: Where is the focus likely to fall over the next four years as the U.S. seeks to adopt a sensible regulatory approach to enterprise drones?Romeo Durscher: The Remote ID broadcasting ruling allows for future regulatory adjustments, like properly opening up the sky for not only Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (TBVLOS for First Responders) but true Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations (BVLOS)  for the entire commercial market. This will allow for again, a very new set of use-cases, from inspecting any sort of lines (power lines, gas pipelines, train tracks, etc.), cargo delivery, to emergency response operations during and after natural disasters. All of this is based on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) model to accommodate these operations safely and efficiently. Lessons learned from today’s tests and pilot programs will support ongoing policy and technology advancements efforts to enable BVLOS operations. 
GN: In your estimation, what are some potential mistakes that Secretary Buttigieg and the FAA should avoid (or remedy) going forward?
Romeo Durscher: We have an opportunity to be bold and very forward-looking. Drones is a relatively young industry that has proven its value proposition many times. The Department of Transportation needs to continue working with all the various stakeholders and include them in the discussions, test phases and policy questions. Just because a larger stakeholder has a certain requirement and need, doesn’t mean it aligns with the general ideas and plans of the broader industry. It is essential that the FAA continues to bring in stakeholders from the commercial side, from within Government, but also everyday drone service providers to balance the needs properly. 
This is also opening to talk about open standards and the way they can benefit everyone, instead of just large companies pushing their proprietary solutions. Regulators need to take this opportunity to work closely with industry players and push for solutions that aren’t proprietary, opening it up for everyone to participate in this space. We already see this in other adjacent software industries such as mobile phones and the cloud, where open standards and open source solutions opened things up and have proven to be scalable.
GN: What could the U.S. drone paradigm look like in four years if everything went the way you hoped?Romeo Durscher: The entire drone industry could look very different in four to five years. As beneficial drone uses continue to make a positive impact on the perception of this technology, the return on investment will also become clearer and more tangible for operators and commercial entities. 
Drones will continue to save lives, mitigate risks to many workers, including emergency response personnel, infrastructure inspectors, and construction workers, these aerial vehicles will help farmers with increased crop yields, smarter farm management, provide researchers and scientists with simpler methods to gather research data and provide students and educators with tools to inspire and build the next needed generation of drone operators, drone engineers and data analysts. 
All of this means safer workplaces, reduction in on the job injuries or death, reduced overall costs and tax spending, improved efficiency, better research and tens of thousands of new jobs. More

A NASA mission now underway after a January launch will be an experiment to maximize the effectiveness of CubeSats by demonstrating how they might track and communicate with each other. This is a crucial step toward development of swarming satellites, which could number in the thousands and work cooperatively to aid in communications, imaging, and forecasting tasks.
“This mission is a precursor to more advanced swarming capabilities and autonomous formation flying,” explains Zac Manchester, an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and the mission’s principal investigator.
For the past decade, interest in small satellites has led to a rethinking of how to apply satellite technology to a variety of challenges. The norm for many applications is no longer exquisitely expensive hardware but rather a new generation of tiny, relatively cheap satellites known as CubeSats.
Read more: SpaceX launches off more Starlink satellites as part of its first ride-sharing space service
But the way those small satellites function, while evolving, still bears much in common with traditional satellite technology: Most satellites now are individually controlled from the ground. The vision for the future involves not only autonomy but also coordination. Massive satellite swarms that function as a single entity would be able to take on some intriguing tasks. Possibilities include swarms of satellites around the moon to provide communications and navigation aid for lunar exploration, a job well-suited to an autonomous swarm.
The new mission, dubbed V-R3x, will test three CubeSats, as well as underlying technologies that might make autonomous swarms possible.
It’s notable that Manchester’s home base is the CMU Robotics Institute, a prestigious incubator of cutting edge robotics technology. As aspirations for space exploration, utilization, and colonization expand, the necessity for autonomous technologies, including robots, to help humans get a toe hold outside our home planet has become evident.

“Spacecraft are robots, too,” says Manchester. “The satellites will wake up and do their thing autonomously,” he explained. “We mainly need to make sure that we get their data downloaded.” More

Connectivity is the name of the game in manufacturing, and the game is getting a whole lot faster, as well as more reliable and secure. Technologies like 5G and edge computing are redefining connectivity in industrial settings like manufacturing and warehouses, bringing efficiency, reliability, and welcome security to the connected machines that make and ship the goods which drive the manufacturing economy.

Speed is the obvious differentiator with the arrival (first in private networks but increasingly in public networks) of 5G, but it takes some unpacking to understand what kinds of functionality that speed can unlock. The edge computing capabilities and lower latency of 5G opens a host of new possibilities for manufacturers to connect and manage advanced robotics, AR/VR deployments, AI, and more robust IoT installations than previously possible.
In other words, 5G will be the engine of digital transformation and a move toward greater automation in manufacturing, and the evolution has already begun. Here are some ways that a new generation of connectivity technologies will transform how products are made and distributed in the near future.
Reliability & Coverage
The last decade has seen the rise of autonomous mobile robots used in pick-and-place, materials handling, and light manufacturing. But the dream of a flexible, efficient manufacturing floor that hums along in the capable hands of an autonomous workforce has remained just that: a dream.
Most industrial robots remain tethered, throttled not just by power constraints (which are rapidly falling thanks to battery advancements and wireless charging) but also by networking limitations. That’s changing rapidly.
An Ericsson white paper entitled Cloud Robotics: 5G Paves the Way for Mass Market Automation makes a compelling case for how 5G will help networked robots transform manufacturing.

Robots, robotics, and system automation have shifted from the floor of the research lab to becoming a crucial cost, time, and energy-saving element of modern industry. Smart robots and their control systems have enabled entire processes, like vehicle assembly, to be carried out automatically. By adding mobility to the mix, the possibilities to include system automation in almost any process in almost any industry increase dramatically. But there is a challenge. How do you build smart robotic systems that are affordable? The answer: cloud robotics enabled by 5G.

The paper’s authors go on to explain that as robots become more sophisticated and smart — which is essential for mobile robots that are capable of adapting to new situations in real time — their processing needs and data collection requirements explode. It’s unrealistic to keep all that processing power onboard individual units for both technical and cost reasons. The cloud offers an elegant solution, permitting robots to outsource their processing and data management needs, but that creates another problem: building a reliable, low-latency network that handle all of in real time and without interruptions.

Cloud robotics aims to change this by putting systems intelligence in the cloud and simplified robotics on the ground. Within this model, mobile technology plays the key enabler role — connecting the cloud-based system to the robots and controllers in a system. And, it is high-performance mobility that will provide the latency and bandwidth needed to support system stability and information exchange, which in turn facilitates the building of sophisticated, yet affordable, robotic systems. 
Within mobile, radio technologies will provide the wanted level of performance, and so it is the capabilities of 4G and 5G radio systems that will enable 5G cloud robotics and facilitate the uptake of robotics in new applications.

The upshot is both lowered cost (as key functionality for individual robots is offloaded to the cloud), increased reliability (as standby functions can be kept running in case a primary function fails, which would be impossible in a more bandwidth-constrained network) and more powerful computing and data sets with seamless connectivity to the cloud and the internet.
Network Performance
Mixed reality will be of enormous importance to Industry 4.0. For data captured by IoT and transmitted from robots on the shop floor to be useful, it will need to reach workers in real time in ways that allow them to take action. Mixed reality, and primarily augmented reality overlays, will become an increasingly useful tool for front-line industrial workers, enabling them to work efficiently and with unprecedented data and insights at their fingertips.
It’s easy to see how specialists on the floor might benefit from having easy access to metadata about the advanced machinery they’re tasked with maintaining. Indeed, AR and VR deployments are no longer exotic on the shop floor, and enterprise augmented reality, in particular, is maturing quickly.
But penetration of the technology in manufacturing and industrial environments has not kept pace with the hype. Why? Because meaningful deployments of mixed reality in manufacturing so far have been hampered by the sheer bandwidth required. With 5G, those constraints disappear. The technology offers higher bandwidth and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi, which relevant for applications that rely on video or access massive datasets in real time, such as AR/VR.
Ericsson has been piloting an augmented reality troubleshooting model at  one of its factories in Estonia.

One of the use cases being explored is AR-assisted factory maintenance. Here, 5G will provide the low latency required for sustained augmented image quality. The next-generation mobile technology will also offer high bandwidth for high-resolution image quality and connection density to guarantee that entire sites can stay connected without disruptions.
“With 5G we can connect more things to each other and to humans,” [Mihkel] Tedremaa says, adding that increased connectivity will narrow the time gap between data-gathering and decision-making. The expected results: reduced downtime, increased output, greater safety, and in the longer term, a more sustainable manufacturing process.

Edge computing

Beyond AR/VR, the use of AI as a functional industrial management tool will rely on the network performance boosts unlocked by 5G. While machine learning and AI are currently deployed widely in industrial settings for repetitive tasks, higher-level production control is still in the hands of humans. In part that’s a reflection of the state of AI technology, which is in its relative infancy. However, more robust networking capabilities are essential to elevating AI beyond optimizing control of individual machines and into spheres like managing supply chains and scheduling production.
According to IndustryWeek, “The 5G smart factory of the future will center on a fully connected experience. From massive device connectivity and innovative technology experiences to near real-time automation and network flexibility, 5G will help bring major advancements to the smart factory. And manufacturing companies could ultimately realize major benefits such as performance improvements, operational efficiencies, and increased safety.”
Security
Interestingly, as telecoms have battled over 5G rollouts for public use, industry has focused on developing private networks to support their Industry 4.0 digital transformation. According to an ABIResearch report, “Private cellular networks for industrial use have the potential to boost gross margin by 5% to 13% for factory and warehouse operations that fully embrace Industry 4.0.”
That has enabled industrial-scale IoT paired with exceptionally low latency. It has also enabled more control, which is critical given how vulnerable IoT and sensor data has been to attacks of various kinds. According to the 2020 Unit 42 IoT Threat Report, 98% of all IoT traffic is unencrypted, exposing personal and confidential data on the network.
Private networks coupled with a strong network security regime can help safeguard vital network communications.
“A strong security posture portends successful digital transformation,” says Palo Alto Networks, a global IoT security leader. “Enterprises need to have constant real-time visibility and granular control of traffic passing through their networks. Only then can they detect and stop malicious activities and threats in 5G and build an effective and efficient scalable defense against IoT-based botnets.”
What’s clear is that 5G and edge computing are bringing unprecedented changes to industrial settings, offering the reliability, performance, and security that enterprises need for Industry 4.0 digital transformation, including new levels of automation and IoT-driven data capture. As the enterprise adapts to the possibilities unlocked by 5G, we’re in for head-spinning technology adoption as we edge closer to the lights-out factory. More

Dave Lin
There’s a new robot available to move pallets around fulfillment warehouses. That may not sound sexy, but the robot is symptomatic of ramped up development in the automation sector to meet demand created by ecommerce pressure.
The robot from Fetch Robotics is called (a bit uninspiringly) PalletTransport1500, and its a workhorse of an autonomous mobile forklift designed to ferry cargo of up to 2504 pounds around warehouses, something that happens hundreds of times per day in busy ecommerce fulfillment centers. The robot utilizes warehouse execution system software by a firm called Honeywell Intelligrated to go about its autonomous business.
And business is booming for automation providers targeting ecommerce and contactless delivery. Distribution centers are slammed with the pandemic-related ecommerce boom. The sector saw sales grow more than 30% in 2020, much steeper growth than could have been imagined at the close of 2019.
“Even the most well-managed distribution centers are struggling to keep up with the ongoing growth of e-commerce, which is putting tremendous stress on facilities and warehouse associates to move goods in and out of facilities at record speed,” explains Fetch Chief Product Officer Stefan Nusser. “By combining Fetch’s new PalletTransport1500 with Honeywell Intelligrated’s Momentum WES, distribution and fulfillment centers will now be able to orchestrate every aspect of automated warehouse execution for maximum facility efficiency and safety.”
The demand surge comes just as many ecommerce suppliers are acclimating to next-day fulfillment, a trend driven almost entirely by Amazon. With the pandemic introducing mew restrictions on work environments and ravaging workforces with illness, automation is viewed as a crucial relief valve.
“To compete in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of e-commerce, modern distribution and fulfillment center operations are introducing increasing levels of automation. Too often these automated systems operate independently, performing very discrete tasks and processes,” says Thomas Evans, CTO of Honeywell Robotics. “This collaboration with Fetch to have a turnkey solution with Momentum gives those in the e-commerce industry a competitive advantage that will optimize productivity, increase operational safety, and provide significant return on investment.”
In addition to reducing the need to hire to keep up, automated mobile robots, which have an excellent safety track record, have the benefit of potentially reducing workplace accidents. According to OSHA, there are 61,800 accidents involving forklifts in the U.S. each year, a staggering figure. 

Fetch’s relationship with Honeywell is also symptomatic of larger coupling in the sector as one-time startups come of age and begin to sell themselves, acquire, or strategically partner in a trend of increasing consolidation around the maturing industry. Fetch’s latest robot builds on an ongoing partnership with Honeywell, which combines Honeywell’s software with Fetch’s existing suite of AMRs to support autonomous workflows for smaller payloads. More