Towards the 5G-Enabled Factories of the Future

Abstract

5G is a flexible key technology for Industry 4.0. Combined with edge-computing, Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) systems, and other secondary wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and MuLTEfire, it will transform the Factories of the Future into more advanced, safer, and more flexible smart production environments. In this paper, we present our research visions, and our reference implementation of a 5G-enabled factory where industrial applications and solutions can be developed and tested in operational conditions. The paper introduces the main technological developments, including a selection of observations and performance evaluations useful for engineers in both the communications and manufacturing domains. Future research visions such as the integration of a digital twin environment are also briefly discussed.