5G for smart intralogistics: Still presents findings

Efficient intralogistics is increasingly based on Industry 4.0 applications and the automation of logistics processes. Research projects such as the ARIBIC project, which was completed in 2024 and dealt with real-time 3D mapping and in which STILL was also involved, and open interface standards such as VDA 5050 are driving this development forward. However, smooth communication between automated vehicles, warehouse management systems (WMS) and control systems requires a stable communication environment with low latency - i.e. with little delay in data transmission. Even the most modern fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) will remain inefficient if the infrastructure does not play along.

Ansgar Bergmann, the project manager responsible for CampusOS at Still, explains the challenge with a comparison: "The possibilities of a high-end smartphone are very limited if I find myself in a dead zone - in the same way, automated and autonomous vehicles are most efficient when stable network coverage is guaranteed." This is why Still invested in a 5G SA campus network at its Hamburg headquarters as early as 2022 as part of the CampusOS project in order to test central applications such as the delay-free control of AGVs and the transmission of high-resolution video data in real time. High prices for the systems and, as a result, low market penetration among customers as well as few options for adapting the existing networks showed the intralogistics provider that it was necessary to look for further options for this technology. This is where the CampusOS project came into play, which looked at open 5G networks with the aim of stimulating the market with their special features.

CampusOS: Open 5G campus networks as a game changer

The CampusOS research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, was designed to test the use of open, modular 5G campus networks for industrial applications. An open campus network is a disaggregated 5G mobile radio solution - in other words, central components of the network (such as the radio unit or the 5G core) are decoupled from each other and replaced by open, modular components that can be flexibly combined, even with hardware and software from different manufacturers. In contrast to the previously predominant manufacturer-based complete solutions from large providers, open campus networks can be tailored more individually to the application and are therefore usually more cost-effective and smarter.

The project investigated how an open, modular 5G campus network needs to be structured so that autonomous vehicles can communicate smoothly not only in theory, but also in demanding everyday working conditions. This showed once again that 5G is a powerful alternative to Wi-Fi in intralogistics, which can be susceptible to interference, particularly due to the low system-related transmission power and the open frequency bands. "Above all, guaranteed bandwidths and the reliability of 5G make the difference," explains Bergmann. "Private 5G uses a frequency spectrum that is specially licensed for the user and is not publicly accessible. The use of network slicing or TSN approaches (time-sensitive networking) guarantees bandwidth for relevant infrastructures and enables the stable networking of numerous devices - from autonomous transport vehicles to handheld scanners and AI-supported camera systems."

New perspectives for intralogistics

The findings from CampusOS are groundbreaking for the entire industry, as Industry 4.0 concepts and machine learning require powerful data processes. Particularly in outdoor areas, where Wi-Fi is often not available, 5G could play a key role, for example in the control of automated guided vehicles. Although company-owned 5G networks are currently still cost-intensive, the use of open 5G campus networks in particular should lead to falling costs.

Bergmann draws parallels with the development of the smartphone: "The use of Internet-enabled cell phones was initially very expensive. As the number of providers and users increased, tariffs fell. We expect the same for 5G in the industry." The aim of CampusOS was therefore also to provide a catalog of technical building blocks that would simplify the construction of specialized campus networks and thus facilitate access to the technology.

"Open 5G systems open up completely new possibilities for intralogistics," summarizes Bergmann and emphasizes: "We are driving the development of this technology forward - for the benefit of our customers. The open networks created in Hamburg could be industrialized directly, so that the customer could benefit directly from the results of CampusOS. In addition, the findings from this project also support further developments in the field of mobile communications, such as 6G or the new 26 GHz band."