Qualcomm, Schneider Electric Develop 5G-Enabled Automated Hoisting System:  Mobile World Congress 2023

Qualcomm has announced a collaboration with Schneider Electric and Capgemini at Mobile World Congress 2023 to develop a new 5G-enabled hoisting system.

The wireless solution is being designed and installed at Schneider Electric’s hoisting lab in Grenoble, France, intended to automate hoisting services and deploy 5G technology to power the system’s video cameras for monitoring and remote operation. 

5G’s low latency characteristics allow the system to replace fiber cables in remote-control operations, helping operators simplify network complexity, reduce wires, and provide long-term reliable connectivity.

The company said in a statement that the solution “demonstrates how it can simplify and optimize digital technology deployment at scale across industrial sites — from steel plants to ports.”

Hoisting services currently play a crucial role in supply chain and manufacturing operations across industries, transporting heavy goods across a site in extreme or adverse locations and climates. Automating such a service is pitched as providing potentially game-changing advances in efficiency and worker safety. 

“Digital transformation is helping Schneider Electric customers generate step-change advancements in productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, but not one company can do it alone,” said Marc Lafont, Schneider Electric’s VP. “This breakthrough end-to-end 5G private network hoisting solution is a perfect example of the power of working together as we pilot it at end-user sites this year.

“In the short term, we will validate more industrial 5G use cases in various discrete manufacturing, hybrid automation, and process automation applications. In the mid-term, we will experiment with deeper integration of 5G technology inside our automation equipment.”

“Advanced connectivity, 5G, and Edge computing technologies are strong enablers and accelerators for this move towards a digital economy and innovative use cases,” said Fotis Karonis, Capgemini’s group leader of 5G and edge computing. “They allow industrial clients to redesign systems and processes and make them more efficient, agile, and intelligent.” 

The automated hoisting system can also be harnessed to deliver additional digital use cases, such as augmented operators enabled by eXtended Reality (XR) and wearable devices.