Bharti Airtel, Ericsson, and the Volvo Group have announced a strategic research partnership to explore the potential of Extended Reality (XR), Digital Twin technologies, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing. By leveraging 5G and 5G Advanced, the collaboration aims to transform industrial operations, enhance workforce training, and optimise real-time processes.
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Key Research Areas
The research, set to be conducted at Volvo Group's Factory and R&D Centre in Bangalore, will focus on Industrial Metaverse applications, blending the physical and digital worlds. Key areas of exploration include human-machine interaction and collaboration, immersive training, real-time process optimisation and digitalisation of manufacturing processes using AI and real-time connectivity.
Airtel's 5G Advanced network
"A key pillar of this initiative is the deployment and exploration of Airtel's 5G advanced network as the foundation for industrial XR applications. With its ultra-low latency and high-speed capabilities, 5G has the potential to enable differentiated connectivity for real-time simulations, design prototyping, and immersive training across multiple factory and industrial sites," the companies said in a joint statement on March 17.
Airtel's 5G Advanced network will serve as the backbone for real-time simulations, design prototyping, and smart factory solutions, enabling industries to test "what-if" scenarios without disrupting actual operations. This initiative will not only boost efficiency but also open new revenue streams for telecom and manufacturing sectors.
Path to Industry 4.0
The Research partners said, "Beyond operational efficiencies, the collaboration will play its part in supporting the path to Industry 4.0 and beyond while also offering opportunities to unlock new revenue streams and business models for the telcos."
Additionally, the insights gained through this research will help enhance network readiness for Industrial XR, paving the way for immersive communication solutions in smart factories, the companies said.
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5G Advanced Will Transform Smart Factories
Kamal Bali, President and MD, Volvo Group India commented, "Our industry is undergoing a once in a lifetime transformation driven by the emerging trends across automation, connectivity and alternative energy carriers – tools which will be key in our ambitions to be Net Zero and shape a sustainable future for all. This transformation also includes the way we work and collaborate across our industrial and R&D sites. 5G, coupled with Extended Reality applications, will help foster innovation as well as collaboration between our sites and engineers, in real-time, through the power of connectivity and digitalisation backed by advanced
AI technologies."
"Through this collaboration, our high-speed, low latency 5G network will redefine and transform the manufacturing sector by enabling real-time XR applications for enhanced productivity and efficiencies, unlocking new revenue streams and accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 applications," added Sharat Sinha, Director and CEO – Airtel Business.
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Driving the Future of Industry 4.0
Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, said, "As India embraces Industry 4.0, 5G will be a game-changer towards enabling intelligent, connected, and immersive industrial experiences. This collaboration with Airtel and Volvo Group underscores Ericsson's commitment to driving innovation through 5G and Extended Reality. By combining our expertise in network technology with cutting edge XR applications, we are creating an ecosystem that will help industries to transform manufacturing. The research insights will be instrumental in shaping the future of industrial digitalisation, not just in India but globally."
As industries accelerate digital transformation, this partnership, according to the companies, "will help networks support the growing demand for XR-driven innovations, aiding businesses to improve productivity and scale operations seamlessly."
