iCal

Questions to be answered

1. Robotic requirements: what are the human and robot interaction and communication and sensing requirements and how to measure them.
2. Robotic use case scenarios: which robotic use case domains have the potential to significantly be enhanced by 6G enabling tech? Key domains including Agriculture, Healthcare, Industrial Robotics, Logistics and Transport, Assisted Living, Space, Construction, Inspection & maintenance, Aerial robotics, Automation and navigation, and Harsh environment. For example, for the case of Aerial robotics:

• How can 6G networks support long distance operations at low level altitude (below 120 meters above ground)?
• Can 6G networks provide accurate positioning to complement GNSS-based positions?
• How can 6G networks provide edge computing resources on the network to implement high demand AI-based algorithms with aerial robots in real-time and for safety critical functionalities?

1. Lessons learned for networked robotics: What are the key connectivity-related lessons learned from commercial deployments of networked robotics systems?
2. Enabling technologies: what are the main elements that may allow us to achieve the challenging requirements? How can robotic technologies improve the performance of 6G networks and vice versa?
3. New features from 6G: What are the new/enhanced features introduced by 6G which are essential for robotic industries?
4. AI techniques’ Privacy and Ethical consideration: What are the considerations for AI models and techniques for processing multimodal information collected either by cameras on the robot or 6G sensing in the edge/cloud?
5. Standards: Route for 6G research outputs for standardisation and challenges, cross SDOs collaboration for harmonised and interoperable standards.

Description

Overall, the workshop provides a unique forum to explore the transformative impact of 6G on the future of telerobotics. It brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss this important intersection of technologies.

The workshop begins with a presentation of the new one6G whitepaper, “6G Empowering Future Robotics: Mapping Requirements and Advancements for the IMT-2030 Framework” by Prof. Kaspar Althoefer. This will be followed by two provocation talks from Dr. Karol Janik and Dr. Jesus Fernandez Lozano, who will share insights from the robotics and communication perspectives.

Breakout sessions, moderated by Dr. Paolo Barattini, will provide a platform for participants to explore the transformative effects of 6G across various applications, including healthcare, manufacturing, and disaster response. The workshop will focus on three key themes: the interplay between 6G and robotics, testbeds and implementation challenges, and routes to standardization.

The breakout sessions will conclude with Dr. Mona Ghassemian highlighting a roadmap based on the group discussions, followed by Prof. Kaspar Althoefer, who will close the workshop and share information about planned follow-up activities.

Breakout session Themes:

Theme 1) The Interplay of 6G and Robotics

• Key Focus Areas:
• Insights: Explore the key robotic use cases where 6G can greatly enhance performance and functionality. How can we leverage 6G to improve robotics capabilities, especially regarding connectivity, sensing, connection speed, and network reliability?
• Recommendations: Suggest strategies for integrating robotics into the 6G infrastructure like automated network maintenance, extended coverage by UAVs, and improve localisation through SLAM.
• Highlight Expert Needs: Specify challenges or innovations that should be addressed by experts from one6G and eu-robotics to maximize the impact of 6G on robotics and facilitate robotics integration into 6G.
• Collaborative Opportunities: Identify potential partnerships with telecom providers, robotics manufacturers, or research institutions that can facilitate the integration of 6G into robotics and enhance 6G implementations.

Theme 2) Standardisation Activities

• Key Focus Areas:
• Insights: Discuss the current state and importance of standardization in the fields of 6G and robotics. Highlight existing standards and gaps.
• Recommendations: Propose actionable steps to help with standardisation efforts.
• Collaborative Opportunities: Identify organizations or bodies that can work together on standardization initiatives.
• Highlight Expert Needs: Specify what key topics need to be addressed by experts from both eu-robotics and one6G to support effective standardisation.

Theme 3) Testbeds, PoCs and Implementations

1. Key Focus Areas:

• Insights: Explore the role of testbeds in validating and implementing 6G and robotics technologies. Discuss successful case studies or pilot projects.
• Recommendations: Suggest actionable steps to improve testbed initiatives for both fields.

1. Collaborative Opportunities: Identify potential partnerships for developing or enhancing testbed environments.
2. Highlight Expert Needs: If you have a request from the research community that helps with your implementation and operation, what would that be?

Organisation of the WS

• 14:00 - 14:05 Introduction and Structure Explanation (Prof. Kaspar Althoefer - Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), United Kingdom)
• 14:05 - 14:15 Provocation 1: Robotic Perspective & Discussion (Dr. Karol Janik - the-MTC & TeleRobotics TG Chair, United Kingdom)
• 14:15 - 14:25 Provocation 2: Communication Perspective & Discussion (Dr. Jesus Fernandez Lozano - Universidad de Málaga (UMA), Spain)
• 14:25 - 15:10 Breakout Sessions (one6G/eu-robotics) (Dr. Paolo Barattini - K46 / Standard TG Chair, Italy)
• The Interplay of 6G and Robotics (Alireza Rastegarpanah - Birmingham City University, United Kingdom; Karol Janik the-MTC & TeleRobotics TG Chair, United Kingdom; Daniel Gordon - Huawei, Germany)
• Standardisation Activities (Dr. Paolo Barattini - K46 / Standard TG Chair, Italy; Albena Mihovska - SmartAvatar B.V., one6G, Denmark; Howard Li - University of New Brunswick, USA
• Testbeds and Implementations (Azmat Hossain (Extended robotics, United Kingdom; Jesus Fernandez - UMA, Spain; Joseph Eichinger - Huawei, Germany; Francisco Javier Perez-Grau (Catec/Aerial Robotics TG/I&M TG))
• 15:10 - 15:20 Discussions and Conclusion (Prof. Kaspar Althoefer - QMUL, United Kingdom; Mona Ghassemian - Huawei, United Kingdom)

Intended outcome

General outcome:

Overall, the workshop provides a unique forum to explore the transformative impact of 6G on the future of telerobotics. It brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss this important intersection of technologies.

The workshop aims to facilitate collaboration between robotics and communications experts. This will enable them to jointly address the potential challenges, as well as to discuss the robotic requirements and potential capabilities for communication systems, and vice versa.

Outcomes for the Robotics Community:

- Gain insights into how 6G technology can enable advanced telerobotics capabilities

- Learn about the latest research and developments in 6G for robotic applications

- Opportunity to network and collaborate with leading experts in 6G and robotics

Outcomes for End-Users:

- Understand how 6G-enabled telerobotics can improve remote operations and service delivery

- Explore new use cases for telerobotics in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, disaster response, etc.

- Provide input to shape the development of 6G for end-user needs

Outcomes for SMEs:

- Learn about new market opportunities for 6G robotics startups

- Connect with potential partners, customers, and investors

Outcomes for Researchers:

- Engage with the broader 6G and robotics research community

- Showcase your latest work and get feedback to advance the field

- Identify new research directions and collaboration opportunities

[* one6G WI216 whitepaper is planned to be released at the Workshop]

Speakers, Panelists, etc

• Robotics: Kaspar Althoefer - Queen Mary University of London, Jesus Fernandez (UMA), Karol Janik (Telerobotic TG))
• Communication: Mona Ghassemian - Huawei, United Kingdom, Albena Mihovska - SmartAvatar B.V.
• Breakout session Moderator: Paolo Barattini (Standard TG)

Speakers & Breakout session Leads

• Kaspar Althoefer - Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
• Karol Janik - MTC, United Kingdom
• Jesus Fernandez - UMA, Spain
• Paolo Barattini - K46, Italy
• Mona Ghassemian - Huawei, United Kingdom
• Howard Li - University of New Brunswick, USA
• Joseph Eichinger - Huawei, Germany
• Azmat Hossain - Extended robotics, United Kingdom
• Alireza Rastegarpanah - Birmingham City University, United Kingdom
• Francisco Javier Perez-Grau, Catec, Spain
• Daniel Gordon - Huawei, Germany

> eu-Robotics Topic Groups (TGs) involved in workshop organisation:

Telerobotics TG; Standards TG; Aerial Robotics TG; Inspection & Maintenance TG

> one6G Work Items (WI) [Working groups – one6G – Taking communications to the next level] involved in workshop organisation:

WG1: 6G and robotics (WI102); WG2: Multimodal sensing, communication and control for 6G remote operation (WI213) and 6G-empowered robotics (WI216); WG4 Testbed and demonstration WI and WG3 Dissemination.

Topic Groups and/or Innovation networks involved

Projects involved

Further information

Following the one6G and eu-robotics joint workshop at the one6G summit 2023 in Munich and MoU agreement signed at one6G Summit 2024 in Valencia, the one6G working item members on the 6G and robotics topic organised a joint workshop with eu-robotics TGs under the European Robotics Forum (ERF).

Organisers

• Kaspar Althoefer - (one6G association, Queen Mary University of London),
• Mona Ghassemian (one6G association, Huawei),
• Karol Janik (euRobotics, Telerobotics TG),
• Paolo Barattini (euRobotics, Standards TG),
• Antidio Viguria Jiménez (euRobotics, Aerial Robotics TG),
• Aksel A. Transeth (euRobotics, Inspection & Maintenance TG),
• Daniel Gordon (one6G association, HWDU),
• Mohammad Shikh-Bahaei (one6g association, KCL),
• Periklis Chatzimisios (one6G association, IHU),
• Ana Garcia Armada (one6G association, UC3M),
• Youssef Nasser (one6G association, Greenwave),
• Joseph Eichinger (one6G association, HWDU),
• Albena Mihovska (one6G association, SmartAvatar B.V.),
• Xueli An (one6G association, HWDU),
• Narcis Cardona (one6G association, UPV)