Verizon demonstrated the power of 5G and the effective utilization of mobile edge computing (MEC) with the display of two robots at the 2021 edition of the Mobile World Conference (MCW) held in Barcelona.

Mobile World Congress (MCW) is an annual trade show organized by GSMA to learn and debate the latest trends in the communication industry. Rima Qureshi, the EVP Chief Strategy Officer at Verizon explained why 5G is crucial when it comes to edge computing that uses machine learning and augmented reality and consumes volumes of data at a higher transfer rate. Further, she added that 5G makes it possible for robots and machines to communicate seamlessly and work together like never before. The demonstration included a four-legged robot named Gigi, the power of 5G that walked stiffly, and Mekeal which used MEC and moved on traction wheels.

Once connected, these robots make areas like factory floors super-efficient through automation and remote monitoring thus cutting costs and plant infrastructure.

The information contributed by individual robots after talking to each other is processed and shared with the network and environment itself. Since they rely on information from other sensors, the robots become lighter, affordable, and accessible.

Verizon called this multi-access edge computing (MEC) which until now was called mobile edge computing. MEC computes at the hubs of semi-local networks, and not in individual devices or at faraway data centers.

Using the 5G network, Verizon hopes for endless possibilities in the world of autonomous robots.

Image source: PCMag