An ERI researcher is controlling a mobile robot using 5G technology in a smart factory.
ETRI
An ERI research team has revealed a technology capable of remotely controlling a factory simultaneously from home and abroad using 5G technology developed through joint international research and an intercontinental wired network.
The Electronic and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has announced that it has succeeded in demonstrating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT1)) service that simultaneously controls and monitors smart factory facilities and robots in real time at home and abroad.
At the heart of the successful demonstration of the technology is ultra-low latency communication technology. The communication delay between distances of more than 10,000 km (approximately 6,200 miles) is less than 0.3 seconds. It has been shown that the Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do factories can be monitored in real time without interruption by the University of Oulu in Finland.
A smart factory refers to a smart factory that increases productivity and reduces defect rates to improve industrial competitiveness by applying information and communication technologies (ICT) to the entire production process. The core is controlling various processes remotely while automating tasks using robots.
To avoid damage due to communication errors, communication delay and data loss should be minimized, although data transmission speed is also important. The greater the communication distance and the more complex the communication network, the greater the delay and data loss. In this case, low latency, high reliability communication technology is required.
Based on this technology, ETRI connected the smart factory of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, based in Hayang-eup, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, to the University of Oulu using the 5G test network of the University of Oulu in Finland and the domestic test network (KOREN2))
This demonstration introduced a new remote manufacturing diversification service that independently controls a factory at home and abroad. It is the world’s first attempt to improve the scope of service and availability of smart factories.
An image that an ETRI research team is monitoring a process situation in real time.ETRI.
The ETRI control center has introduced ▲ the operation of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES3)) and related order, ▲ real-time control service of the facility and status monitoring via the remote SCADA4) control panel, etc.
In the Oulu control center, the following elements are demonstrated: ▲ remote control and status monitoring of mobile manufacturing robots ▲ remote manufacturing process control using virtual reality (VR) equipment ▲ manufacturing process monitoring a distance through the data collection of narrowband Internet-based wireless sensors of things (NB-IoT).
In particular, it has significant significance as it managed to demonstrate real-time remote control and two-way delay monitoring service of less than 0.01 seconds in Korea and less than 0.3 seconds overseas.
With this demonstration, sharing and cooperation between countries in the manufacturing and production sectors is expected to increase by increasing the possibility of remote intelligent manufacturing services based on stable communication quality. It’s because checking the opposite side of the earth is getting easier without visiting the physical site.
As idle equipment in each industry can be used effectively via remote control, it is expected to gain momentum in global resource management and industrial competitiveness of SMEs.
Il-gyu Kim, head of ETRI’s mobile communications research division, said: “As it has become possible to remotely control smart factories even from abroad and in Korea, we can now meet the demand for industry activities caused by the pandemic. of COVID-19. Therefore, it is expected to revitalize the stagnant industry. ”
In the future, the research team plans to carry out follow-up research to ensure connectivity and mobility and to implement hyperspace services.
In addition, it plans to work on the design of future 6G-equipped factories through continued collaboration with the flagship 6G program run by the University of Oulu.
1) IIoT: Industrial Internet of Things
2) KOREN: Korea Advanced Research Network
3) MES: production execution system
4) SCADA: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition