TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Open RAN
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • 5G
  • Access Evolution
  • Private Networks
  • Cloud Native
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Sustainability
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • 5G
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Access Evolution
  • AI, Analytics and Automation
  • Cloud Native
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Edge
  • Open Networking
  • Open RAN
  • Private Networks
  • Security
  • Sustainability
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Internet of Things

Internet of Things

NEC and Nidec develop technology to control robots equipped with Intelligent Motors

Via NEC News room

Dec 7, 2017

NEC Corporation Nidec Corporation

Tokyo, December 6, 2017 – NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) and Nidec Corporation (Nidec; TSE: 6594; OTC US: NJDCY) announced today the successful joint development of a technology that enables highly precise, real-time remote control of Intelligent Motors (*1), motors incorporating microcomputers through a wireless network.

As utilization of the Internet of Things (IoT) accelerates, there is greater need for robotic equipment to communicate and work together cooperatively in the growing robotics industry. In consideration of this demand, NEC and Nidec have successfully developed a new technology that combines NEC's wireless communication technology with Nidec's motor synchronization technology to enable highly precise, real-time remote control of Intelligent Motors through a wireless network.

NEC's wireless communication technology accurately predicts the future operational status of Intelligent Motors in the event of a wireless network communication delay. This enables the motors to be remotely controlled in real-time, and for future operations to be adjusted based on prediction results.

In addition, Nidec's motor synchronization technology enables multiple Intelligent Motors to interact with each other through highly precise synchronization between them, or among multiple robots equipped with Intelligent Motors.

This newly developed technology has been verified by simulation testing with automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in an environment where wireless communications were unstable due to the data transmission of peripheral equipment and the influence of electromagnetic noise. According to the testing, the technology could improve transportation efficiency (*2) by 30% compared to conventional methods.

Going forward, NEC and Nidec will promote commercialization of this technology throughout a wide range of fields, including automatic carriers in plants and warehouses, security robots, reconnaissance robots, and remote control of drones for inspection and delivery.

NEC will present this technology at the IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE) 2018 in Las Vegas from Friday, January 12 to Sunday, January 14, 2018. URL: http://www.icce.org/

Larger view

Wireless collaborative control technology

Features of the new technology

  1. Predicts communication delays between a control server and Intelligent Motors - The highly precise stochastic model was discovered over the occurrence of delays on various wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi and LTE, and communication delays were successfully predicted through its utilization (Note 3).

  2. Achieves advanced, real-time remote control based on communication delay prediction - Communication delay prediction technology can predict how much time has elapsed since feedback information (position, velocity, torque and others) was sent from Intelligent Motors and how much of a delay there will be for an arrival of the control commands (orders on position and velocity) to Intelligent Motors. With this prediction, the technology accurately estimates the status of Intelligent Motors at the time that the control commands will be received. It then controls the motors in advance on the basis of the predicted future status (Note 4), enabling real-time control, even from a remote site where communication delays occur.

  3. Collaboratively controls robots with highly precise synchronization between motors - An Intelligent Motor is a motor equipped with a microcomputer developed by Nidec, enabling easy control through a wireless network. The developed motor synchronization technology hereby achieves highly precise synchronization by having multiple Intelligent Motors interact frequently, enabling the coordination control of multiple robots equipped with Intelligent Motors. In addition, an expensive computer is no longer necessary for control, which was conventionally required on the side of robots. As a result, for conveying operations in plants and warehouses, it becomes possible to transport parcels of various shapes and weights, not by a large, high-cost automated guided vehicle, but through the combination and collaboration of multiple small, low-cost automated guided vehicles. This contributes to low-cost operations.


  • (*1) Intelligent Motor A motor incorporating a microcomputer developed by Nidec. It can be easily controlled through a wireless network. In addition, a variety of information on the motor can be obtained, such as position, velocity and torque.
  • (*2) Transportation efficiency Time required for an automated guided vehicle conveyance to prevent deviation from a certain route by remote control.
  • (*3) Communication delay prediction With the definition of two states of communication networks, high-delay state and low-delay state, it was discovered that the transition model of the two delay states could be predicted very precisely using a certain molecule's stochastic model of the state of transition between a high-energy state and a low-energy state. It was demonstrated that the method could improve prediction error by about 30%, compared to the latest outcome in the same kind of research in a real network environment.
  • (*4) Advance control A control method by predicting future states in the control system. The presentation at IEEE ICCE 2018 will be given centered on this control technology.
Related Topics
  • Announcement,
  • Asia-Pacific,
  • Internet of Things,
  • NEC,
  • News,
  • Tracker

More Like This

Digital Platforms & Services

What’s up with… Colt, 5G’s impact on GDP, Cisco

Aug 18, 2022

Access Evolution

Roaming IoT connections to generate 1,100 petabytes globally by 2027, as operator network strategies disrupt market

Aug 10, 2022

Access Evolution

What’s up with… GSMA, Verizon, Semtech

Aug 3, 2022

5G

What’s up with… US mid-band auction, TIM, Thales

Aug 1, 2022

Access Evolution

Telefónica integrates terrestrial 5G and LEO satellites for extensive IoT reach

Jul 20, 2022

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (NEC News room) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

0:46

The Cloud Native Telco Summit returns this September!

8:32

Azita Arvani on Being a Female Leader at Rakuten Symphony

16:19

AT&T Amy Zwarico on securing telco applications in the public cloud

1:44

Join us for the greatest industry debate of the year!

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2022. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).