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If robotics and cellular communications seem strange bedfellows, it's because
the fifth generation of wireless, 5G, is the first to wirelessly address the needs of
such applications rather than just increasing data rates and expanding coverage
as previous generations did. This ambitious standard, called IMT-2020 by the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that globally regulates them, will
accomplish this by completely revolutionizing the way cellular networks are built,
the devices they can connect with, the frequencies at which they operate, and
the applications they serve.
The fifth generation of wireless technology will pave the way for a new
generation of robots, some free to roam controlled via wireless rather than wired
communications links and all exploiting the vast computing and data storage
resources of the cloud. Armed with these capabilities, robots can be precisely
controlled dynamically in near real time, and be connected to people and
machines locally and globally. In short, 5G will fully enable applications such as
the "factory of the future" and many, many others that were previously beyond
the capabilities of both cellular and robotics technologies.
But Will They Still Need Us?
There are many predictions that robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) will come
to rule the world, including some containing rather draconian prospects for the
fate of humanity. The champions of robots believe they will complement people
rather than replace them, and perform some functions that humans aren't very
Enabling 5G and The Future of Robotics
By Barry Manz and Paul Golata, Mouser Electronics
The fifth generation of
wireless technology will
pave the way for a new
generation of robots,
free to exploit the vast
computing and data
storage resources of
the cloud.
