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While 5G seems to be getting a lot of attention in terms of smartphones and its connectivity capabilities, more and more attention is now being paid to its impact on the robotics industry. 5G is the latest cellular communications technology, enabling a new network that can connect almost everything. Basically, this means that the “thing” in your hands requires less intelligence because we can put more data in the cloud and share it more easily.
5G is just the next generation of cellular communications. It handles infrastructure better than 4G, which means it's a more efficient method of transmission in otherwise challenging environments. Generally speaking, factory automation operates in challenging Wi-Fi environments with many obstacles, such as metal structures, moving objects, and electrical noise. Now imagine a fleet of bots and other devices competing for bandwidth on top of this.
One day, taking advantage of the next generation of cellular communications, we will be able to put robots in many time-consuming applications without relying on Wi-Fi at all. Leveraging 5G to connect directly to the cloud means businesses can reduce overhead costs and improve security because 5G-enabled devices don’t have to worry about the network infrastructure on-premises.
The IoT has three core elements: sensors, actuators, and active locations. They are the "things" that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet. The role of 5G in IoT is to make it more accessible. IoT doesn’t rely on 5G — it could use Wi-Fi or anything else — but 5G does make it more accessible and cheaper to communicate because it’s more efficient.
For example, if you had a 4G cell tower that could only handle 10,000 customers at a time, and now with 5G, it can handle 100,000 or more customers at a time, then the investment in that infrastructure is More attractive. 5G allows everything to be stored in the cloud so efficiently that no device is needed anymore, except for a smartphone that is already connected via 5G.
Many people don't realize that they will have just as much power as anyone who can afford a "fantastic computer." This is where 5G comes in and changes the world through its role in the Internet of Things.
There are many ways in which 5G can be applied to robots. Let’s take Tesla as an example. Driving a Tesla is essentially like driving a robot on wheels. It's a giant IoT device with tons of computing power, and everything it does is tied to the way humans think. Tesla’s approach to vehicle manufacturing requires high utilization of network bandwidth, which relies on 5G and 4G support. This demonstrates not only the application but the need for it.
Currently, latency is one of the main challenges facing robotics developers. Latency is the delta in time between a robot or IoT device taking action based on input that must come from sensors or off-board controls. Robots are controlled in real time for a fixed period of time, which means they have deadlines that must be adhered to, otherwise they may cause unnecessary safety hazards.
When networking is involved, latency will ensue. It's just a matter of approaching it intelligently and including enough margin so that latency doesn't become too much of an issue. In robots, this would work together with safety systems to prevent humans and robots from occupying the same volume of space at the same time.
For example, a fleet of robots move in sync to perform a task. If one of the robots takes too long to receive input to process an action, the robot loses its capabilities and functionality, disrupting the entire team collaboration. It's like going to a concert and the drummer loses their rhythm and ruins the whole show. Without 5G, the best way to transmit large amounts of data to operate a robot without lag is through a wired network connection, which is very limited.
5G removes these limitations, making robots smarter, easier to maintain, better capable of upgrades, and far beyond what we can imagine today.
Currently, robots are used in various industries such as retail, medical, hospitality, manufacturing, etc., but as technology develops, expectations will also change. Now that demand is increasing, robotics needs to be more flexible, agile and mobile, and this is where 5G comes into play. With 5G, robots can perform and move better than ever before, unlocking future possibilities. All in all, 5G has capabilities unknown to many, and small changes will make a significant difference.
It’s easy to tell when consumers are dissatisfied, but resolving these issues can be challenging due to cost. 5G requires new infrastructure, and building that infrastructure can be expensive. Recognizing this, once the world implements more 5G infrastructure, the technology will be more useful than ever, with robots used in hazardous locations such as oil extraction and even outer space to improve human life.
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