Sarcos Robotics, a leader in developing robots that supplement humans to improve productivity and safety, has announced a partnership with the US internet giant T-Mobile. The agreement is to integrate 5G internet service to the Sarcos’ highly dexterous mobile robot, the Guardian XT.
In June, at the Mobile World Congress 2021, held in Barcelona, Rima Qureshi, the EVP Chief Strategy Officer of Verizon, demonstrated 5G connected Robots that transferred volumes of data and communicated seamlessly.
5G is gaining the attention of many companies mainly because its seamless connectivity is expected to open up endless possibilities for Robots to learn and interact.
Several (AMR) Autonomous Mobile Robot suppliers are exploring 5G connectivity as a supervisory or fleet management solution as it allows smooth exchange of high volume facilitating remote diagnostics and troubleshooting.
The Guardian XT is a remotely controlled robotic system designed to assist humans in working safely during precarious conditions like lifting heavy materials or using power tools at immense heights. Through the 5G integration of T-Mobile, the companies strive to increase the performance and response time for remote operations so that the robot can accomplish tasks more rapidly and in sync with their operator’s actions.
The Guardian XT robotic system is a variant of the award-winning Sarcos Guardian XO, a full-body, battery-powered industrial exoskeleton. In addition to being platform-independent, it can be installed on various mobile bases to reach elevated or hard-to-reach spaces. It can be utilized in multiple industries, from aerospace to automotive to construction to defense to industrial production to oil and gas.
The commercial availability of both the robots, Guardian XO and Guardian XT, is expected by the end of 2022.
A remote viewing system powered by T-high Mobile’s bandwidth and low latency 5G network will be the first product of the T-Mobile and Sarcos collaboration. The technology allows workers, supervisors, outside experts, and others to view the robot’s tasks, regardless of whether it is controlled by an operator locally or remotely.
Operating the Guardian XT robot is simple. SenSuit®, a motion-capturing suite, allows users to manage the robot. To execute complex operations in unstructured and hazardous conditions, the operator can use their natural reflexes, intuition, and judgment while staying out of danger.
In the second phase of development, the Guardian XT is expected to involve a complete 5G wireless network integration by T-Mobile that will allow the teleoperation of the Guardian XT robot beyond 5G. It will provide the operators with further flexibility and safety by enabling them to execute duties from a distance.
On April 6, 2021, Sarcos proclaimed that it will become publicly listed through a merger deal with Rotor Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded acquisition company. The common stock of the combined is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol STRC in the third quarter of 2021.
Sarcos Guardian XT can take advantage of 5G’s fast communication speeds and minimal latency to establish a robust, high-speed connection. It is one of the first formal collaborations between a robotics company and a 5G provider that permits remote control of machines and will lead to more 5G applications to assist industrial and service automation applications.
