Industry consortium develops “tactile” Internet
Based on 5G mobile phone technology, the project aims to further develop the so-called “tactile Internet” for the digitization of production and robotics. Thus, oriented to the needs of the market, a basis for diverse industrial applications is created. The project is coordinated by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), together with Nokia Bell Labs.
The future network will allow very high data rates and have response times that are not perceptible to humans, because they are under one millisecond. However, the highest level of reliability and real-time communication required for networked production (industry 4.0) is not yet fully supported in the first phase. TACNET 4.0 will therefore first of all develop the concepts and algorithms required for this, and thus create the prerequisites for many industry 4.0 applications, such as the direct interaction between man and machine or wireless process control.
One of the most important aspects of TACNET 4.0 is the local and cross-location secure transmission of data with minimal delay, e. g. for remote control of machines. Professor Hans Schotten, Head of the Intelligent Networks Research Unit at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern and coordinator of TACNET 4.0, explains: “Innovative 5G technologies can support demanding and hitherto unrealizable scenarios in process and production automation. One such scenario is, for example, the remote control of mobile machines or robots that are used in hazardous work environments or require operation by locally unavailable specialist personnel. To this end, the project is also investigating new approaches such as big data analytics, edge-cloud supported real-time control and remote services.”
The particular challenge of TACNET 4.0 is to integrate future 5G networks and other common and novel industrial communication networks to support a wide range of industrial applications, such as the integration of the various fieldbus systems. TACNET 4.0 relies on open interfaces so that the network functions can be extended by apps, for example. Furthermore, for the first time ever, attempts are being made to use the mobile radio network for wide-area coverage instead of just local wireless sensor networks or WiFi.
In addition to the DFKI and Nokia Bell Labs as overall coordinators, the TACNET consortium includes, among others, the ABB Research Center, Bosch, NXP Semiconductors, OTARIS Interactive Services, the Technical University of Dresden with the Vodafone Chair in Mobile Communications Systems and the Deutsche Telekom Chair for Communication Networks, the University of Bremen. Associated companies are BASF, Busch-Jaeger, Hirschmann Automation and Control, Phoenix Contact Electronics, Vodafone Germany and VDMA.
The project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with around 6.3 million euros, has a total duration of three years.
More information: https://www.tacnet40.de
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