Orange Belgium officially inaugurated, this Thursday 10^th November, its second Orange 5G Lab in Belgium: at La Grand Poste in Liege, inviting companies to discover, test and develop new innovative use cases on the 5G Stand Alone network technology. This Orange 5G Lab will join Orange’s international network of 16 other Orange 5G Labs in Europe, fostering collaboration and innovation at an unprecedented level.

At the event, more than eight new 5G use cases were presented in collaboration with local industries. Among those we find:

• Augmented Ramp Agent

Responsible for loading and unloading air cargo and ground handling, ramp agents often work at a high pace, in challenging weather conditions and always with safety in mind. To enhance activity in such a challenging environment, a new 5G use case allows for the term « augmented worker » with industrial smart-glasses connected in real time to a stable 5G private network.

The goal: eliminate all paperwork for ramp agents and ease the loading and unloading process through a seamless, online, hands-free workflow process. With 5G, efficient, error-free and safe activity for agents.

• Human Robot – Digital Twin

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world physical system. In this case, it represents a 3D digital visualization of a robot that operates remotely, out of the operator’s field of view in the factory.

Such a digital twin allows the operator to perform system analysis, simulation testing and engineering acceptance, before applying them in real life. The use case presented at the unveiling is a robot performing a specific sequence in the pharmaceutical industry, such as handling or filling fluids into test tubes and placing them in racks. The operator monitors the process via the digital twin, which replicates and visualizes what the real robot does. Thus, to avoid the operator having to enter the robot area with the risk of contaminating the workspace, 5G enables remote error assessment using augmented reality (Hololens) and the digital twin.

• Intelligent Pallet Mover

Increasingly common in Industry 4.0, automated guided vehicles offer a cost advantage, remain available 24/7, generate optimal transportation between the warehouse and the work area and increase safety. Equipped with collision avoidance intelligence and machine learning, these self-guided vehicles are not only « autonomous », they are also « connected » and that’s where 5G comes in. With real-time remote control, enhanced coordination of self-guided vehicles made possible by the high-speed, low-latency network of 5G, it is now possible to have a high level of fleet self-organization and cooperation.  Thus, they even improve the safety of human-machine interaction.State Secretary for
Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments, Thomas Dermine as well as Karine
Dussert-Sarthe, EVP Orange Innovation Marketing and Design of the Orange Groupot