6G what, when and why, Cows that don't burp and Dam Robots
July 30
We are now constantly seeing ads for 5G phones and networks. The global roll out is well underway. We are always looking at the future here at “What’s on Craig’s Mind?” so time to consider what is next. The logical step after 5G is 6G. What is 6G, when will we get it and why do we need it. We will find out. We also look at a Dam in Japan being built by robots, some intelligent thermal wear and the future of feed for cattle. Finally we see a group of Japanese engineers bring their childhood dreams to life. Hopefully nothing goes wrong.
6G
With 5G (5th Generation) mobile networks and devices now being progressively rolled out around the world it is time to consider when the next generation of devices and networks will be ready. The expectation is that 6G will be ready for commercial adoption in 2030 however Samsung have recently announced that they plan to have their 6G networks and devices ready for operation in 2028.
5G massively boosts data bandwidth and reduces latency over 4G. What more could 6G offer and why would we need it? Samsung expects 6G to offer 50 times peak data rates over 5G or 1,000 Gigabits per second with a typical “user experienced” data rate of 1 Gigabit per second. 6G will also support 10 times more connected devices per square kilometer. Samsung is targeting a reduction in air latency (delay) from 5G’s under 1 millisecond to under 100 microseconds, a 100 times improvement with twice the energy efficiency.
Why will we need 6G? Some of the applications that will benefit from improved speeds and lower latency are autonomous vehicles, factory scale automation and next generation computer vision applications. The human eye is limited to a maximum resolution of 1/150 of a degree and a viewing angle of 200 degrees in azimuth (think of this as the horizontal) and 130 degrees in zenith (vertical). Multi camera machines will process data at resolutions, angles, wavelengths and speeds that people can’t match.
6G may also enable the next generation of XR (Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality) headsets. A headset will need approximately 0.44 gigabits per second to power human retina matching 16 million pixel displays. Volumetric holograms (see below) require at least 580 gigabits per second for a phone sized 6.7 inch display. Human sized displays will require several terabits per second (bring on 7G).
Digital twins (or replicas) of objects may be able to be created enabling users to explore and monitor reality in a virtual world. One or two way interactions will also be possible. If we had this technology today we could send our digital twin to the office for meetings (and have zero chance of catching covid). Duplicating a 1 square meter space in real time would require throughput of 800 gigabits per second.
There are many technical challenges to overcome including utilization of the terahertz radio spectrum, creation of massively more dense antennas and improvements in radio spectral efficiency. 3G took 15 years of development time. 5G took 8 years, 6G is expected to be similar. Technical specification standardization of 6G will begin in 2021.
Robot built Dam
In the Mie Prefecture on the southeast coast of Japan’s main island, Obayashi Corporation is building a dam almost entirely with robots. The 84 meter high structure should be completed in March 2023.
Robots are used to mix sand and gravel with cement to make the concrete required for the dam. Automated systems then stack the concrete layers to form the dam. Every process for constructing the 334 meter wide dam involves some sort of automation.
Dam construction is a skilled activity. By automating those skills the issues of labour shortages and an aging workforce can be addressed. 35% of construction workers in Japan are 55 or older. Humans are on the cranes for safety reasons but the machines are self operating. Cranes are remotely controlled by computers in the company head office. As the process is improved Obayashi expects to cut building time by 30%.
Intelligent Thermal Wear
Clim8 is a startup that has developed thermal wear that will monitor your skin temperature in real time and activate warmers when you need it. The warmers are connected to an app on your phone that allows you to personalize the desired temperature.
The garment has multiple heating zones, is washable and adjusts in real time as your body moves into different environments. The fabric is stretchable and breathable, optimizing comfort.
Future Feed
If all the cattle in the world were a country they would emit more greenhouse gases that every other country except for the US and China. Cows burp and fart a lot of methane. Methane is 28 more times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
A billion people depend partially or fully on livestock for their livelihoods. Livestock also provides protein and micronutrients to the global population so how can we balance these needs with the desire to reduce atmospheric methane.
The CSIRO in Australia has developed a livestock feed supplement that utilizes a specific type of seaweed which reduces methane emissions from burps (90% of methane emissions are from burps, only 10% from farts) and at the same time increases the production capacity of farms. The methane that a cow burps is lost energy. Reducing that methane emission increases the growth rate of the cattle.
Approximately 12% of cattle feed is burped out each year. Since feed is the primary expense for a cattle producer reducing the required feed by eliminating burping, reduces the cost to the producer. The cost of the seaweed supplement is about the same as regular feed. A low dose of 1% of the total feed will reduce methane emissions by 90%.
If the seaweed feed could be approved as a methodology for reducing carbon emissions, farmers would also earn carbon credits. Utilization of this type of innovation is also likely to lead to development of premium products for some markets (e.g. Europe) and potentially premium pricing.
The CSIRO has established Future Feed Pty Ltd to commercialize the technology. There are also opportunities to develop production of the seaweed (various species from the Asparagopsis genus) at scale (little exists atm).
60 foot tall Gundam
Gundam is a robot from the 1970’s Japanese anime “Mobile Suit Gundam”. Japanese engineers in Yokohama have built an operational 60 foot tall version of the robot (what could go wrong with that?!?).
The Humanoid robot will makes it debut on 1 October 2020. This robot proves that no matter where engineers come from, they never fully grow up.
Paying it Forward
If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.
If you have any questions or comments please email me via my website craigcarlyon.com or comment below.
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