Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2019 - 72

Q&A
Volvo CE trials 5G connectivity

What does Volvo CE hope to achieve
with this trial?
A faster, more reliable mobile network
will mean we're at the forefront of driving
a much faster market implementation of
technologies like automation. Something
that had seemed impossible a few years
ago is now a very real opportunity today.
What is really exciting is that at this
very early stage, we are in a unique position to iron out any problems and play a
key role in actually influencing how 5G
will work for industrial purposes when it
is rolled out more widely. The goal for us
at Volvo CE is to make this system so
mature and so successful that we can
test it with our customers-to see how
this technology can function on a real
construction site. Hopefully that will be
something we can achieve by the end of
the trial.
Will you be testing with other Volvo
machines?
The aim is that after the initial testing
phase with the wheel loader, we will then
be able to test it with the HX2 hauler
concept machine to see whether it is
possible to have a work cycle operated
72 June 2019

entirely using 5G. In principle, we can then test 5G with six to
eight autonomous haulers transporting gravel across the site.
Can other sectors benefit from 5G automation?
Absolutely, it's not just mining [and construction]. The forestry industry could certainly benefit, as an industry where
you have lots of incoming trucks loading and unloading on to
trains, often at night...And again, for really dangerous jobs in
the steel industry or the energy sector, where physically moving material can risk explosion or toxic gas emissions, then
removing people is clearly a good solution.
For construction, is boosting productivity a key driver?
Safety is obviously a big factor, but clearly 5G will have a direct
positive impact on productivity. Today's
remote-control technology provides a
delay which makes it very difficult to
control a machine with any speed or precision, but 5G will be as good as real
time. In addition, the picture quality is
much better, video footage is in a better
resolution and 5G provides a more reliable connection-all of which makes it
easier for the operator in the simulator.

Calle Skillsäter, Volvo CE's technical
specialist for connected machines

"We are in a unique
position to iron out
any problems and
play a key role in
influencing how
5G will work for
industrial purposes."

What challenges have you experienced
so far?
We did find it hard to initially get the
hardware. We are so early in the trial that
we have trouble finding modems to communicate with the antenna. Telia has been
useful in providing the right equipment
for us to use. We are so early in trialing
this technology that this obviously has its
advantages and disadvantages.
When will we see 5G rolled out to the
wider industry?
It depends on different use cases in
construction-how do they work, do
they meet the demands of the industry,
is it feasible for customers? 5G will
come first to those that benefit the
most, but it will take time to build the
network and required infrastructure. For
us in the construction industry, and for
static operations like a quarry or mine, it
really can come quite fast. The timing is
good-our customers need connectivity
and they want more data. And we're the
ones providing the research to see just
how possible it is.
Ryan Gehm

TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

VOLVO CE

For years Volvo Construction Equipment has operated
wheel loaders via remote control in underground mining
operations, first for very dedicated tasks and more recently
increasing the flexibility and scope of their operation. A recent test program with mining company Boliden examined
both standard WiFi and a 4G+ communication system built
with the help of Ericsson, on a machine located more than
400 m (1,300 ft) below ground. Though the program was
deemed a great success by both companies and considered
an important step on the pathway to truly autonomous machines, they agreed that a more robust communication system was necessary. Hello 5G.
Volvo CE is now trialing 5G mobile connectivity in a twoyear partner program by Telia and Ericsson, this time employing a remote-controlled wheel loader,
the L180H, in a 25-hectare constructionsite setting in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Calle
Skillsäter, Volvo CE's technical specialist
for connected machines, offers some
insights on the technology, this latest
trial program and where it can go from
here, in this edited exchange provided
by the company.

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2019

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