The field of advanced robotics has long been hindered by the need for permanent 5G infrastructure, limiting its deployment to urban areas and established industrial sites. However, recent breakthroughs have enabled the use of private 5G networks that can be deployed temporarily, allowing for the use of advanced robotics in remote areas such as farms, disaster zones, and construction sites. This is made possible by the use of edge computing, private network architecture, and network slicing, which provide low latency, high bandwidth, and reliability.
One example of this technology in action is the deployment of a private 5G network by BAM Nuttall in Shetland, which enabled the use of a Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot with laser scanning equipment to operate under full remote control from hundreds of miles away. Engineers at the National Robotarium are taking this technology further by developing VR interfaces that allow operators to control robots remotely using voice commands and visualized data streams.
This approach has numerous applications across various sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and emergency response. For instance, private networks can support autonomous vehicles in container terminals, reducing downtime costs and increasing reliability. In healthcare, tele-manipulation systems can transmit haptic feedback over 5G connections, allowing clinical experts to feel forces applied to remote transducers while viewing live imaging data.
The use of private 5G networks also enables the deployment of robots in areas with limited or no Wi-Fi coverage, such as precision farming systems that require reliable connectivity across vast outdoor areas. Emergency response applications can also benefit from deployable networks, which can be established at disaster sites within hours to support coordinated teams of aerial reconnaissance drones, ground-penetrating robots, and underwater rescue systems.
The shift from permanent to deployable infrastructure is changing the economics of robotics deployment, allowing organizations to implement sophisticated automation without committing to long-term infrastructure investment. This flexibility creates new business models and enables the use of robots in a wide range of applications. However, the industry still needs to develop standardized deployment protocols and equipment packages that can be rapidly configured for different applications.
To achieve this, collaboration between technology developers, network providers, and end-user industries is essential. The development of modular network equipment and training programs for operators will also be crucial in enabling the widespread adoption of deployable robotics. As the technology continues to advance, the question is no longer whether portable networks can support advanced robotics, but how quickly organizations can identify and pilot applications that can benefit from this capability. The geographic constraints that have limited robotics deployment for decades are dissolving, and the organizations that act now will define what becomes possible.