“The expansion of 5G is critical not only to robotics but also the growth and socialization of large scale XR. While people dance paroxysms of premature joy about holograms and AI, the real game changer for 5G will be in the smaller practical circles of advanced manufacturing and modern factory developments.” – Matthew Wallace, CEO & President

Your Robot Assistant Will Soon Be Able to Read Your Emotions

Businesses are counting on faster speeds to deliver AI-based assistants and 3D content, as well as holograms, that will someday be a daily part of people’s lives.

In South Korea, the country with the world’s fastest internet speeds, the transition to 5G networks is also leading to an era of interactive robots. South Korea switched on 5G networks nationwide in April, with data speeds of about 1.5 gigabits per second. Businesses are counting on 5G to deliver artificial-intelligence-based robots, 3D content, and holograms that they say will someday be a part of people’s daily lives.

The higher speeds will enable companies including automakers and wireless carriers to connect devices with vehicles, home appliances, and buildings. And because the country also boasts the world’s highest robot density, some of these same companies, such as Hyundai, LG, and Samsung, are trying to develop bots that will provide some fixes for problems like a rapidly aging population and rising labor costs.

The global market for service robots is projected to expand to $20.2 billion by 2021, from $8.6 billion in 2017, according to the Frankfurt-based International Federation of Robotics. South Korea’s government recently announced that it expects its robot industry to grow to 15 trillion won ($12.6 billion) by 2023, from 5.7 trillion won in 2018. On March 21 it said supporting that industry is a key national goal.

Read more at Bloomberg