Within the project period, four new NetApps which are specifically designed for PPDR, transport, logistical robots (in hospital), and manufacturing process will be validated and showcased in three existing testbeds (Barcelona, Athens and Cambridge), All testbeds were built from previous 5GPP projects and national projects. These NetApp solutions will be sharing 5G-ERA progression on enhanced robot autonomy and representing their respective vertical configurations. The success of 5G-ERA test and validation will open a new window for further development of NetApp in related vertical sectors. In particular, this process will be accelerated in the robotic community by the integration of ROS, which is the most commonly used open-source framework for robot software development.
Built on top of OSM, the 5G-ERA intent-based networking, cloud naive reference design and standardized APIs, enable the interoperability and security to be shared by NetApps which follow the reference design across the targeted vertical applications. The capability will be verified in field trials using standardized testbeds with NFV. It enables the latest progress on ML and AI to be used for automatic configuration/decomposition/mapping of NetApps on existing experimental infrastructure. Performance optimisation will be showcased in different vertical sectors to ensure the repeatability of the project approach.
5G-ERA network applications, including 5G-ERA middleware, reference NetApp, and four specific NetApps per vertical sectors will be open source to encourage the reusability of project results. Detailed examples with tutorials will be provided to maximum engagement from all players, especially from robotic platform developers and vertical end users.
The project partners are carefully selected from the value chain (detailed below) of 5G robotics. Most of the 5G-ERA members are SMEs and start-ups. The project coordinator is Robotnik Automation is a European reference company in mobile service robotics. They are already present in the main international markets. To be successful on the competitive market, the company is keen to seize the new opportunities offered by 5G, especially the 5H enhanced robot autonomy for new products and services.
5G networking promises to be a key enabler for robotic vertical applications with enhanced autonomy. It will not only deliver an evolution of mobile broadband networks; it will provide the unified communication platform needed to disrupt new business models and to overcome the shortcomings of current communication technologies. As such, 5G technologies have the potential to amplify and accelerate the ongoing transformation, and to unlock a next level of efficiency gains in robotics even for the vast community of European manufacturing SME.
