Etisalat showcases future of smart retail powered by 5G at GITEX

Etisalat is pushing the boundaries of innovation at the 40th edition of GITEX Technology Week, as it takes everyone on a journey of immense possibilities in the future of mobility and retail with the transformative power of 5G and futuristic technologies.

This year at GITEX, Etisalat is introducing new mobility segments along with 5G connectivity in commercial and regional as well as inter-regional aerial transport. This in line with Etisalat’s continuous efforts to boost the Dubai Government’s strategy to raise the share of autonomous transport to as much as 25 percent of the total transportation in the emirate by 2030.

Saeed Al Zarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Network, Etisalat, said: “5G stands out as a game changer with rich potential, an evolution that would elevate services, performance, and enablement. It is in line with UAE’s digital vision, market trends and Etisalat’s long-term strategy of ‘Driving the digital future to empower societies’. At this year’s GITEX, 5G continues to take centrestage at Etisalat’s stand as we present connected and autonomous vehicles reflecting the shifting mobility preferences that appear to be reshaping the future of mobility.”

Making a grand entrance at GITEX this year are the all-electric, highly automated and fully connected BMW Vision iNEXT, and BMW Vision DC Roadster, a futuristic electric motorcycle a major step into the full-size electric two-wheel segment. Etisalat has also partnered with BMW to provide the eSIM platform, connecting wirelessly with ConnectedDrive vehicles, providing customers an enhanced driving experience.

Taking off from Etisalat’s stand is the taxi SA-1, an electric flying taxi developed by Hyundai with Uber. This fully electric car flies a distance up to 60 miles at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet. With 5G, this is a great use case that can enjoy the benefits of the ultra-low latency and high speeds of this superior network.

AirCar, an autonomous all-electric human carrying flying car, is taking private autonomous transportation to another level. The flying car can be charged by 80 percent in 15 minutes, enough to fly from one side to another in most cities.

The world’s fastest autonomous delivery drone by German drone maker Wingcopter is making its presence for the first time at the Etisalat’s stand. This futuristic concept will set a benchmark for the logistics industry.

Another showstopper at the Etisalat’s stand is Rinspeed’s MetroSnap, an innovative autonomous driving concept. This futuristic modular showcase can be used as a sharing shuttle for transportation and delivery - a perfect ‘Grab and Go’ experience along with facial recognition and payment solutions enabled by a delivery mobile app.

The Park Rover, an autonomous pod that takes tourists from point A to B, is designed to be part of a complete mobility system ecosystem integrated with a mobile app and a cloud service. It lets visitors summon the Park Rover and pay for it directly from the app itself.

On the smart retail front, Etisalat is showcasing advanced use cases of artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision in the form of innovative solution for retail businesses. The smart retail showcase includes a grocery smart checkout solutions, F&B section, life style/connected fashion and a retail dashboard.

The world’s first robotic kitchen, created by Moley, comprises two robotic arms in a specially designed kitchen, which includes a stovetop, utensils and a sink. The device is able to reproduce the movements of a human chef in order to create a meal from scratch.

Another showcase is Grand Connect’s retail back office that is a connected IoT based ecosystem of hardware and software comprising of ‘smart dressing rooms’, ‘smart staffing’, and ‘smart digital signage’.

At the LG ThinQ Smart Home on Etisalat’s stand, the experience is enabled with LG’s intelligent lifestyle technology and its smart home appliances controlled using a smartphone.

Tonal, the world's most intelligent home gym and personal trainer, uses AI to learn from the user’s body and tracks progress in real-time to take the guesswork out of strength training.