Project Description
The digital transformation now encompasses almost every branch of the German economy and is of immense importance for ensuring the competitiveness and innovative strength of
German companies. A central aspect of the digital transformation is the transformation from conventional and rigid to flexible and adaptive systems. For example, industrial production,
for example, is undergoing a transformation toward networked, adaptive production using new and innovative information technologies. The communication standard 5G offers new possibilities
for driving forward the networking of production and therefore plays a key role as an enabler in digitization. Initial investigations are to be carried out into the use of 5G in the construction
and mining applications as part of the research project 5G. NAMICO: Networked, Adaptive Mining and Construction. While the industrial use of 5G has so far been limited mainly to industrial production,
the research project aims to transfer the knowledge already gained in production. The challenge here is that a 5G communications network for the dynamic and changeable application fields of
construction sites and mines, which also has to withstand the adverse environmental conditions in these fields.
As part of the 5G NAMICO research project, 5G is also to be used in the construction and mining sectors of the future. Based on the findings from previous projects such as the
5G-Industry Campus Europe, a 5G network is now to be installed on a reference construction site and in an underground mine to harness the benefits of the technology. One challenge here
is the adverse and changing environments: dust, vibration and humidity bring demands on a dynamic 5G network, which must withstand harsh operational conditions. 5G technology, which
was developed for use in industrial environments and open areas, must therefore be developed further. The use of 5G in construction and mining has the potential to automate processes
and reduce the workload of personnel. A prerequisite for this is the development of enhanced safety concepts that protect people in partially and fully automated processes, while at
the same time achieving progress in digital transformation. To use 5G on construction sites and in mining in the future, the project will first look at selected use cases that deal
with the automation of individual work processes and the safety aspect.
The 5G NAMICO project is funded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia through the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalization
and Energy with the funding code 005-2108-0111.
The project runs from 01.01.2022 to 31.12.2023