Qualcomm Kickstarts 5G for Industrial IoT with Live Ecosystem Demonstrations

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated has announced demonstrations of industrial IoT applications with multiple companies at Hannover Messe using a live over-the-air 5G NR network utilizing mobile test devices powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements.

2019 is the year of 5G, and the next generation of connectivity is officially a part of the Industrial Internet of Things at Hannover Messe. The conference’s 5G Arena in Hall 16 is showcasing a variety of over-the-air 5G industrial IoT demonstrations – from safety panels to smart sensor systems to AGVs – and cutting-edge 5G technology from Qualcomm Technologies, combined with 5G infrastructure provided by Nokia, is helping a select group of exhibitors to show off the future of smart, connected industrial products and solutions.

"We are excited to showcase what's possible when we add 5G to the industrial IoT," said Jeffery Torrance, vice president, business development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Qualcomm Technologies' leadership in IIoT is reflected with everything from go-to connectivity solutions like our Qualcomm® 9205 LTE IoT modem, to new platforms like the recently-announced Qualcomm® Robotics RB3 Platform, to joint studies with industry leaders like Bosch on key IIoT topics. With these live 5G demonstrations at Hannover Messe, Qualcomm Technologies continues to showcase the breakthrough technologies that are transforming the way the industrial world connects, computes, and communicates."

"5G networks will transform today's factories and manufacturing centers into highly adaptive, efficient and intelligent production sites," said Mike Calabrese, vice president of Global Enterprise and Webscale, Nokia. "We are thrilled to bring out 5G solutions to enable real-world industrial cases to the 5G Arena at Hannover Messe, together with Deutsche Messe AG and Qualcomm Technologies."

“5G will transform industries and unlock the huge potential of industrial IoT,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president & president Qualcomm EMEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc. “30% of the top 40 industrial IoT companies are European companies*, with many industry leaders based in Europe. We are very proud to offer these demos with these companies to highlight the beginning of what’s possible for industrial IoT using 5G.”

Companies demonstrating 5G technologies at the show include:

Bosch

“Bosch Rexroth makes the factory of the future a reality, together with Qualcomm Technologies and Nokia at the Hannover Messe,” says Dr. Heiner Lang, Senior Vice President Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions, Bosch Rexroth AG. "5G will achieve the breakthrough of wireless communication for industry. Solutions such as our 5G-connected mobile control panel that supports also safety features, make new operating concepts possible: one 5G control unit can address several machines as reliably as only wired individual units could in the past. Machines can become leaner, cheaper and easier to maintain. Rexroth also demonstrates this with the driverless transport system ActiveShuttle and a 3D printing system – both connected via 5G.”

Festo

"Our smart IoT gateway is the way to get your information in the cloud fast," said Bernd Kärcher, Head of Advanced Development Automation and Control at Festo. "Now with 5G connectivity, we're demonstrating the new way of quick cloud access for your IoT data needs. Festo has been involved with 5G technology since an early stage in order to be able to offer our customers useful solutions in good time."

Goetting

“Goetting’s AGV will be wandering around outside the 5G Arena at Hannover Messe, transmitting a HD video stream over a live 5G network. Alternatively, it can be teleoperated from Goetting's booth over the live 5G network to demonstrate the high reliability and low latency of 5G. This demo showcases the future of autonomous ground vehicles in factory settings, and Goetting’s products are leading the way to the smart, connected network of factory vehicles in Industry 4.0,” said Thomas Neugebauer, head of development, Goetting.

IFAK

“The FTT is developed by IFAK and includes devices (MULTIFACE) that generate traffic and measure parameters with high resolution. The FTT-Manager provides a user interface to plan and control the test procedure. It can also manage and control standard equipment such as spectrum analysers for cross layer analysis or signal generators for introducing interferences. The stochastic analysis of the measurement results provides not only a snapshot, but a comprehensive picture of the behaviour of the wireless solution,” said Dr. Lutz Rauchhaupt, Deputy Head of ICT and Automation Department and Senior Engineer in Wireless Automation, IFAK.

Siemens

“5G is a promising wireless communication technology which will open up new opportunities for the industry,” said Herbert Wegmann, General Manager of the Business Segment Industrial Communication and Identification at Siemens. “Here at the Hannover Messe, we’re using a 5G connection with a mobile test device provided by Qualcomm Technologies to upload live process data to MindSphere, showcasing todays possibilities of 5G for Industry.”

Weidmueller

“Through 5G, real time data can be reliably transferred to the cloud with wireless technology, as demonstrated by the crucial laser welding application in a prototype VW commercial vehicle production facility,” explains Michael Matthesius, Executive Vice President Division Automation Products & Solutions of Weidmüller. “Our IoT edge controller brings additional flexibility to the process and is complemented by the intuitive operating concept delivered by the Weidmüller industrial touch panel. 5G is making a significant contribution not only to the ‘internet of things’, but also is a significant driver of the ‘internet of production’.”

Zeiss

“ZEISS is bringing a measuring cell with in-line sensors for car assembly inspection into Industry 4.0 at Hannover Messe,” said Dr. Kai-Udo Modrich, ZEISS. “Our in-line cell, consisting of various in-line sensors and software, inspects all necessary features, generates and transfers these quality data into a closed quality control loop. With 5G connectivity, we can now boast even higher reliability and optimize manufacturing processes in a smart factory for car body construction.”