Freshwave seeds 5G agritech innovation at National Robotarium

Recent research from industrial data and mapping analyst datacity calculated that that the agritech industry will hit £15.6bn by 2026. Looking to dig up its share of riches in the land and to unlock productivity in the arena, connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service (SaaS) provider Freshwave has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Robotarium to collaborate in testing robotics on private 5G networks.

Based in Edinburgh at Heriot-Watt University’s campus, the National Robotarium is a centre for robotics and AI with a stated mission of “creating innovative solutions to global challenges” through a data-driven innovation hub. The centre works directly with industry to research, test and develop robotic, AI and automated technologies that have a positive impact on the economy and society. 

The National Robotarium is funded in partnership with The University of Edinburgh as part of the £1.5bn Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal. The deal is supported with £300m funding from the UK government and £300m funding from the Scottish government.

Freshwave works with mobile operators, central and local government, and real estate providers. Its managed sites include some of the biggest, most challenging wireless environments in the UK, including several central London boroughs and Docklands.

The new 5G private network will be used to test robots with the aim of building the innovation centre’s digital capabilities for undertaking commercial projects, testing the robots before they are provided to the research facility’s customers for use.

The company believes that portable 5G private networks are unlocking exciting benefits in the agritech sector, capable of delivering high-speed, reliable internet access in remote or rural areas where traditional broadband is often limited, enabling better connectivity for devices and systems on the farm.

The low latency offered by 5G allows real-time data collection and analysis, supporting immediate decision-making for precision agricultural tasks, such as crop monitoring and equipment adjustments. They can be easily deployed and moved as needed, making them ideal for seasonal or shifting agricultural operations where fixed infrastructure is impractical.

“Robots have the potential to transform the agricultural sector, similar to the way equipment such as tractors did so many years ago, but they need the right networks to power this data-driven approach,” said National Robotarium COO Steve Maclaren.

“This portable 5G private network [will] allow us to unlock exciting new applications for our customers. One day we’ll see multiple robots in the field working together on different tasks, from weed removal to nutrient-analysis to pesticide application, creating a co-bot (human and robots working together) workforce to achieve results that simply aren’t possible without harnessing technology. It’s truly a gamechanger and the future of agritech.”

As part of the new collaboration, Spot, a quadruped wireless robot by Boston Dynamics, is the first robot to be used on the portable 5G private network. The National Robotarium’s customers will be using Spot to stream live video content, and do 3D mapping and infrared assessments when out in the field.

The real-time data Spot collects will be used to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability. Freshwave’s 5G private network can be deployed through a pop-up mast is that is self-contained and powered by a generator. It uses n77 spectrum Freshwave secured from UK comms regulator Ofcom. The network was deployed in a matter of days.

Having witnessed a demonstration of Spot on the portable 5G private network at the National Robotarium, Ian Sharp, head of business development at The Scotland 5G Centre, Scotland’s national centre with wide expertise on private 5G network adoption and advanced wireless connectivity, said: “The demonstration of this robot, powered by Freshwave’s portable 5G private network, showcases the transformative potential of 5G to revolutionise agritech. It’s exciting to see how 5G can address the unique challenges of rural and remote areas, making sustainable and efficient farming more achievable.”