World Premiere: Telia To Show Off 5G Using Remote-Controlled Excavator

Tallinn hosted the 2017 Digital Summit on Friday that brought together EU heads of state or government. The exhibition area of the Tallinn Digital Summit features remote-controlled excavator which is operated over the 5G network.

The Digital Expo features Telia’s stand, which shows off together with Ericsson and Intel one of the possible industrial applications of 5G – a remotely-controlled excavator.

The remotely operated excavator provides a good example of how virtual and augmented reality can shape our daily lives already in the near future. It will make it possible to avoid subjecting people to dangerous work conditions – heavy machinery can be operated from a safe location in any part of the world.

In order to enable remote-controlling of the excavator over 5G, it had to be rebuilt, for instance some parts of the control system were removed and assembled in a different location. The machine was equipped with a 360-degree camera, which provides a comprehensive overview of the surrounding area.

Workplace of future driver with VR headset and remote controls.

According to Kirke Saar, CTO at Telia Estonia, 5G’s ultra-fast speed and almost zero latency are essential when it comes to operating machinery remotely.

“Although we are still in the process of testing different 5G solutions, the results are very promising giving us the ability to imagine how the new technology can make our daily lives faster, more convenient, and safer.“

Kirke Saar added that because 5G enables a huge variety of new features for different businesses and industries, the development of 5G is one of Telia’s main focuses.