Freshwave has partnered with the National Robotarium to deploy a portable 5G private network at the facility.
The National Robotarium is a centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The 5G private network is being used to test robots with the aim of building the innovation centre’s digital capabilities for undertaking commercial projects.
The two companies have also demonstrated a robot on the portable 5G private network.
The wireless robot by Boston Dynamics (pictured right) is being tested to meet an agricultural technology (agritech) need for a National Robotarium customer and will be streaming live video content, doing 3D mapping, and infrared assessments when out in the field.
The real-time data the robot collects will be used to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability.
It is hoped that portable 5G private networks can provide high-speed, reliable internet access in remote or rural areas where traditional broadband is often limited, enabling better connectivity for devices and systems in farming deployments.
The low latency offered by 5G allows real-time data collection and analysis, supporting immediate decision-making for precision agricultural tasks, such as crop monitoring and equipment adjustments.
Steve Maclaren, COO, the National Robotarium (pictured above, left), said, “I’m delighted with what we’ve achieved with Freshwave’s portable 5G private network so far. Robots have the potential to transform the agricultural sector, similar to the way equipment such as tractors did so many years ago, but they need the right networks to power this data-driven approach.
“This portable 5G private network is going to allow us to unlock exciting new applications for our customers. One day we’ll see multiple robots in the field working together on different tasks, from weed removal to nutrient-analysis to pesticide application, creating a co-bot workforce to achieve results that simply aren’t possible without harnessing technology. It’s truly a gamechanger and the future of agritech.”
Tom Bennett, CTO, Freshwave (pictured above, right), added, “We’re pleased to bring our 5G private network expertise to this project with the National Robotarium. The work the team is doing there is unbelievably cutting-edge and we’re excited to be involved in it.”