When Your Colleague Is A Robot: How 5G Will Connect Humans And Machines In Tomorrow's Factories

In contrast to the natural world, factories have evolved in leaps, from the advent of industrialism in the 18th century to automation in modern times. Along with the addition of steam power and electricity into factory life, each progressive step brought disruption.
The next leap, a new era of connectivity that some have christened Industry 4.0, will make today’s factories look as quaint and amusing as those in a Charlie Chaplin flick.
Bottles on conveyor belts will instruct machines on how to fill them. 3D printers will assemble small, highly customized batches of consumer goods, and then quickly reconfigure themselves to make something else. Humans wearing augmented reality glasses will work alongside robots in seamless collaboration. Real-time information about all processes will be transmitted to off-site managers who can make adjustments remotely.
Communication — machine-to-machine and machine-to-human — will bind the machines, processes and monitors of the factory of the future. And 5G technology will connect them, fomenting a digital transformation that promises to improve productivity, efficiency and quality.
Robots And Humans In The Fast Lane
The factory of the future will function more like an orchestra than a collection of assembly lines with machines, humans and robots all playing different roles. The factory floor will be dynamic, reconfiguring itself to suit the product being made.http://www.forbes.com/sites/huawei/2016/06/14/when-your-colleague-is-a-robot-how-5g-will-connect-humans-and-machines-in-tomorrows-factories/#71fffcbf136f