Topcon represents construction industry in CampusOS 5G research project

Photo: Topcon

Topcon Positioning Germany is one of 22 partners involved in CampusOS, a research project with the goal of developing a modular ecosystem for open 5G campus networks based on open radio technologies and interoperable network components.

As part of the German technology program “Campus networks based on 5G communication technologies,” innovative solutions for open 5G networks are being developed and tested in conjunction with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The program was launched at the beginning of 2022 and will run through 2025.

The use of artificial intelligence in the operation of autonomous plants and construction machinery requires the highest level of digital sovereignty. If Construction 4.0, including far-reaching automation, is to become a reality in Germany and the rest of the world, the processes of such data-driven solutions must run reliably, quickly and autonomously.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection is providing €18.1 million in funding for the technology program over the next three years, which will cost €33 million total. The Fraunhofer Institutes FOKUS and HHI are coordinating the project. 22 partners from industry and research are involved, including Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch and more.

“To enable companies to operate their own campus networks, certain requirements must be met; from standardized technology building blocks to network structures,” explained Ulrich Hermanski, chief marketing officer of the Topcon Positioning Group. “As the sole representative of the construction industry, Topcon will test the technologies on reference test sites and, therefore, will help shape the solutions for the future. We look forward to working with our research partners to take the digital construction site to the next level.”

With this research project, construction companies will one day be able to operate plants and machinery autonomously in open campus networks. This will allow the fluid and uninterrupted monitoring of construction sites in real time, as well as the networking of all sensors and construction machines in use on construction sites.

Autonomous from public networks, 5G technology guarantees seamless machine-to-machine communication and transmits data 10 times faster than 4G.