During the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos, ABB and Ericsson, together with Swisscom, demonstrated the potential of no-latency communication enabled by 5G for robotic control.
At the Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland, an ABB YuMi collaborative robot carved a message in a sandbox that was replicated at the same time by a second YuMi robot located 1.5 km away.
The simultaneous action was enabled through Swisscom’s 5G network equipped with Ericsson technology in real-time and viewed on video screens at both locations. Based on a multi-year technical collaboration, ABB and Ericsson have developed the fundamental technologies needed to connect machines via a 5G mobile network.
“ABB will continue to drive the digital transformation of industries by investing in developing innovative solutions and products. Our partnership with Ericsson and Swisscom helps us to seize the full potential of 5G for industrial manufacturing,” said Peter Voser, ABB CEO and chairman.
Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business said that 5G wireless technologies make it easier to connect robots to the cloud and factory automation systems, enabling faster access to more data and better decision-making.
“As we replace traditional wire set-ups with 5G mobile networks, we can significantly increase flexibility in manufacturing,” Voser said.
Urs Schaeppi, CEO of Swisscom, said that the demonstration in Davos would showcase the possibilities of 5G for manufacturing.
“The joint demo uses our live 5G network in Davos to give a glimpse of the capabilities and various possibilities of 5G for manufacturing and robotics. The time is now to step into 5G.”