The fast 5G mobile communications are now also helping robots on the jumps. As mechanical helpers, they should be able to help with serving or cleaning work in the future thanks to faster data transmission.

The high-speed 5G mobile communications standard is also set to become a communication channel for service robots.

Vodafone and Hyundai presented a model at the Hanover Fair on Monday that can be used for simple assistance tasks, for example in the hospitality industry or in care and health facilities.

The machine assistant moves autonomously and without separate individual control in the 5G network, which it uses to transmit data from its surroundings recorded by cameras and sensors. The large amounts of information could be processed in real time and passed on to other members of the “Robo-Team” nearby, said Vodafone manager Michael Reinartz.

Example functions are serving drinks or cleaning and disinfection work. So it’s not initially about highly specialized task profiles such as in industrial production or with independent care robots, but rather about helping out. The Hyundai robot division and Vodafone also see their system as an opportunity to absorb staff shortages for certain activities at service providers. But it is primarily about support, not about replacing human work, it said.

The 5G standard is now also being used for some medical applications. In large manufacturing plants in mechanical engineering, it is intended to increase efficiency and thus save energy.