Since I work in the construction industry, I’m probably the most excited about what 5G will be able to do for construction. It could have a big impact if we take advantage of it. 5G will allow us to work faster, smarter, safer and more efficiently.
REAL-TIME AUTOMATION
Similar to the real-time automation of autonomous vehicles, with 5G, we could have a self-driving crane or a self-driving lift. That same technology would allow us to remotely operate a piece of equipment in a hazardous area, eliminating the need for a person to be in the zone. These and similar types of applications will allow our job sites to be safer.
SMART SAFETY
Smart Safety means being able to send real-time alerts about unsafe conditions to the worker, to the field superintendent, to the safety manager and to anyone else who is connected to the safety alert program. Alerts could range from detection of carbon monoxide or asbestos to being able to recognize when someone is above six feet and not tied off.
REAL-TIME COLLABORATION
BIM (building information modeling) and VDC (virtual design and construction) are used in some capacity on almost every single project. The ability to virtually design a project before it’s constructed has had significant positive impacts on construction schedules and budgets. The current drawback is the size of the BIM/VDC files. With 5G’s data transmission capabilities, imagine being able to alter and collaborate within those files in real time. Whether on the job site or in the office, there would be no more waiting on updates from office-to-field or field-to-office or from other trades, updates would be instantaneous and would allow us to make better decisions, quicker.
SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION
What if we didn't have to manually scan material as it was taken out of stock on a job site? What if there was an RFID tag that automatically scanned the material as it was moved out of the trailer? The RFID tag would send updates, instantaneously, to our vendor partners. Then our vendor partners would immediately know status of stock levels and if restocking was required.
All of these advances with 5G would allow us to work safer and more efficiently.
This post is part of a series of posts about 5G. Other posts discuss benefits, risks, the potential uses for different markets and how to prepare your business for 5G. Please follow and share on social media so you don’t miss any posts! If you’d like to read previous posts: https://www.ermco.com/single-post/demystifying-5g-what-is-it https://www.ermco.com/single-post/demystifying-5g-benefits-risks
For more information on how ERMCO can help with an integrated systems solution, contact:
PJ DONOVAN | 317.538.5511 | pdonovan@ermco.com
PJ Donovan is the Business Development Manager for ERMCO’s Systems Group. She’s been with ERMCO for 10 years and has been in the Systems Group the entire time, as a Systems Coordinator and then Systems Estimator. Now she helps maintain and grow client relationships and serves as one of ERMCO’s experts on all things systems-related from A/V and access control to security and wireless systems.