Page 15 - Winter 2025

Industry News

“We are very pleased to be able to use igus’ collection and analysis, supporting immediate
robotics know-how to develop real proof- decision-making for precision agricultural tasks,
of-concepts for customers in industry. The whilst portability makes them suitable for seasonal
combination of artificial intelligence and robotics or shifting agricultural operations where fixed
offers enormous potential for automating work infrastructure is impractical.
processes and making them more efficient”.
The pop-up mast is self-contained and powered by
Alexander Muhlens, Head of Low-cost Automation at a generator and it uses n77 spectrum secured from
igus, adds: Ofcom.

“The cooperation with these institutes gives us Steve Maclaren, Chief Operating Officer for the
the opportunity to show our customers what is National Robotarium, states:
possible with the help of AI and low-cost robotics.
“ Robots have the potential to transform the
Our dream is to be able to easily control robots via
agricultural sector, similar to the way equipment
a voice command in any application”.
such as tractors did so many years ago, but they UK POWER NETWORKS
Reference: Miles, S., ‘Hackathon at igus uses Robots and AI’, Electronic need the right networks to power this data-driven
Specifier, 20th. January
approach. INSTALLS WORLD’S FIRST
This portable 5G private network is going to
National Robotarium deploys portable 5G help us unlock exciting new applications for our SMART SUBSTATION
Private Network customers. One day We’ll see multiple robots in
the field working together on different tasks, from
The National Robotarium in Scotland has recently
weed removal to nutrient analysis to pesticide
partnered with Freshwave to deploy a portable 5G
application, creating a co-bot (humans and robots
private network to test robots as part of the building
working together) workforce to achieve results
of digital capabilities for commercial projects.
that simply aren’t possible without harnessing
Spot, a quadruped wireless robot from Boston technology. It’s truly a gamechanger and the future
Dynamics, is the first robot to be used on the portable of agritech”.
UK Power Networks’ Maidstone site has become Enhancing the service provided to our energy-
Reference: Tyler, N., ‘Freshwave deploys portable 5G Private Network
the first of a series of substations to be equipped generating customers, and making our network more
at the National Robotarium’, New Electronics, 20th. January
with advanced communication and AI-driven resilient in the process, will go a long way to preparing
technologies. These substations will ultimately be our network for a decarbonised future and will allow
able to ‘talk’ to each other and redirect energy to more renewable energy resources to connect”.
where it is needed most.
Ian Cameron, Head of Customer Services and
The substation installation is part of the Constellation Innovation for UK Power Networks, adds:
Project, which aims to free up 1.4GW of capacity
“ We already have smart control rooms and grid
by 2050 as well as cutting 17 million tonnes of
edge devices like smart electric vehicle chargers.
greenhouse gas emissions.
Having smart substations in the middle pulling it all
Allerton Energy from Waste, owned and operated by together is a logical next step”.
FCC Environment, is the first distributed generator to
Reference: Electrical Review, 22nd. January
connect to the new system under the Constellation
trial. A further five smart substations are planned
for the South East of England with UK Power
Networks partnering with GE Vernova to deploy
a PhasorController solution for each substation.
By analysing power flows locally, these sites can
reduce reliance on central communication, allowing
for resilient operation even when connections are
disrupted.
The new digital substations will use machine learning
models to process data from normal operating
5G private network and is being tested to meet
periods and then maintain safe power flows should
an agricultural technology need for a National
connections to central systems be lost.
Robotarium customer. It will stream live video
content, perform 3D mapping and conduct infrared Luca Grella, Head of Innovation for UK Power
assessments in the field. Networks, states:
Portable 5G networks are especially useful in “ This is a groundbreaking innovation for our network,
agriculture as they provide high-speed, reliable and the first of a series of smart substations which
internet access in remote rural areas where could make a real difference for our customers and
traditional broadband is often limited, providing the environment.
better connectivity for devices and systems on
farms. Low latency helps ensure real-time data

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