UK-based tower company and network sharing specialist Freshwave has deployed a ‘portable’ private 5G network at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh, Scotland, to test and develop commercial robotics solutions for Industry 4.0. The pair have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on private-5G-for-robotics projects on an ongoing basis, they said. Their first project is to develop a robot solution for an agricultural-tech (agri-tech) customer.
The National Robotarium is a research partnership between Heriot-Watt University and The University of Edinburgh, focused on robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), human-robot interaction (HRI), and precision laser applications. Most staff are part of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. It is also a base for the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CDT-RAS).
The centre has so far connected a ‘Spot’ robot from Boston Dynamics, a wireless quadruped robot, to the private 5G network to test live video streaming, 3D mapping, and infrared ‘assessments’ for a client. The unnamed agri-tech client wants to let Spot loose “in the field” on a private 5G connection to gather intelligence about the farming environment. “The real-time data Spot collects will be used to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability,” said a statement.
Freshwave’s private 5G solution can be quickly deployed; it houses a self-contained pop-up mast, powered by a generator. There is no word on the provenance of the radio and core network solutions. It uses n77 spectrum (at 3.3-4.2 GHz; effectively 3.8-4.2 GHz in the UK, according to the Ofcom allocation for enterprises). Freshwave secured the spectrum from Ofcom, it said. “The network was deployed in a matter of days,” it added.
The portability aspect is so the client can “easily deploy and move” the infrastructure “as needed”. The setup is suitable for “seasonal or shifting agricultural operations where fixed infrastructure is impractical”, the duo said. The UK agritech industry will hit £15.6 billion by 2026, according to a quoted market forecast. The MoU seeks to combine the National Robotarium’s expertise in robotics and AI with Freshwave’s experience with “neutral host-led private networks”.
Steve Maclaren, chief operating officer at the National Robotarium, said: “Robots have the potential to transform the agricultural sector, similar to the way tractors did so many years ago. But they need the right networks…. This portable 5G private network [will] allow us to unlock exciting new applications for customers.”
He went on: “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 (human and robots working together) workforce to achieve results that simply aren’t possible without harnessing technology. It’s truly a gamechanger and the future of agritech.”
Tom Bennett, chief technology officer at Freshwave, said: “The work the team is doing is unbelievably cutting-edge and we’re excited to be involved in it.”
The Scotland 5G Centre, the national centre for 5G in industrial and public sectors, funded by the Scottish government, attended a demonstration at the National Robotarium. Ian Sharp, head of business development at the Scotland 5G Centre, said: “The demonstration… showcases the transformative potential of 5G to revolutionise agritech. It’s exciting to see how 5G can address the unique challenges of rural and remote areas, making sustainable and efficient farming more achievable.”
