5G impetus : Infrastructure development

Col Atul Kumar *

1. GENERAL

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1g, 2g, 3g, and 4g networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connect new industries. 5G speeds will range from around 50 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps).

Envisioning the possibilities with 5G-enabled AR/VR technology while augmented and virtual reality are available today, AR and VR wearable devices will become even more impactful to construction and engineering in the coming years. Today’s hardware is expensive, and not particularly comfortable for all-day usage, but it will evolve to lighter weight, more cost friendly versions.

This will make AR and VR more adaptable and affordable for the construction industry. With 5G capable of moving and analyzing massive amounts of data to the cloud or edge, AR and VR technology will soon play a supporting role in the construction industry of the future—both during a build and in operations. In the day-to-day, the wearable technology can alert to issues such as a misaligned pipe within the model, maintain quality control, or alert you to a moving piece of equipment. When it comes to operations, AR and VR could even reveal the pressure of a valve, or the location of a buried pipe. The use cases are only becoming more pervasive.

Cloud, mobile, and 5G technologies will play a key role in the evolution of the construction and engineering industry.

2. AIM To discuss enhancement of road construction in a smart manner by incorporating 5G Technology mechanism and futuristic thereon it.

3. SCOPE/PREVIEW

(a) What is 5G
(b) Implications
(c) AR and VR Technology
i) Augmented reality.
ii) Virtual reality
iii) Advantages of AR and VR Technology
(d) Enhancement/Impact in working procedures/ software’s being used.

4. (a) WHAT IS 5G

5G is far superior to the current network in terms of transmission speed. 5G will provide data transmission rates of up to 10gbps, which is 10 to 100 times higher than 4g and 4g-lte. 5G is expected to surpass ultra broadband networks and combine existing technologies such as the internet of things (IOT), cloud, big data, artificial intelligence, and block chain to support the creation of innovative services.

In addition to improving speed, another significant feature of 5G is its lower latency. As a matter of fact, in the 5G era, the delay time is less than one millisecond (ms), which is almost equal to the zero data response time in the real world. In addition, unlike current internet of things (iot) services, 5G is expected to release a huge internet of things.

Not only that, based on the super bandwidth of 5G per unit area, connectivity per unit, coverage (near to 100 percent) and the ability to connect devices, an ecosystem can be established, where "smart networks" can be used for large medical devices and provide real-time interactivity .

Recently, global companies have taken the lead in the competition for the upcoming 5th-generation (5G) cellular technology, which is thought to be the most important source of revenue in the future. The 5G network will be broadly introduced as a simple framework for hyper connected mobile devices and will ultimately evolve into a modern 5Gaap (5G platform) platform.

Future technology in the 5G environment would create an "intelligent virtual power plant" that will optimize resource usage and incorporate energy use, production and trading. In addition, it is expected that 5G technology will make tremendous changes in the energy industry. 5G is a profound network which is expected to solve or shall bring ease in solving the most crucial social problems like; current social problems, such as climate change, disaster safety and traffic congestion, and ignite the awareness of the concept of smart virtual power plants in the energy sectors.

South Korea's 5G technologies can be applied to real-time energy transactions between production and consumption resources, demand management of factories and buildings, and distributed resource management across the country. Therefore, it is possible to analyse and predict energy production and consumption patterns using artificial intelligence engines with present real-time big data. The combination of digital twin technology and 5G technology.

(b) WHERE IS 5G BEING USED

Different industries are currently using 5G in India, among them the top industrial sectors for private 5G are 'technology', retail/wholesale, entertainment, manufacturing, and health/social care. Currently 5G is used in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Kolkata, Siliguri, Gurugram and Hyderabad. The target of telecom operators is to get 5G all over the country in the next few years.

5G is used across three main types of connected services, including enhanced mobile broadband, mission-critical communications, and the massive IOT. A defining capability of 5G is that it is designed for forward compatibility—the ability to flexibly support future services that are unknown today.

(i) Enhanced Mobile Broadband. In addition to making our smartphones better, 5G mobile technology can usher in new immersive experiences such as VR and AR with faster, more uniform data rates, lower latency, and lower cost-per-bit.

(ii) Mission-critical communications. 5G can enable new services that can transform industries with ultra-reliable, available, low-latency links like remote control of critical infrastructure, vehicles, and medical procedures.

(iii) Massive IOT. 5G is meant to seamlessly connect a massive number of embedded sensors in virtually everything through the ability to scale down in data rates, power, and mobility—providing extremely lean and low-cost connectivity solutions

5. IMPLICATIONS

a) Higher download speed

The 5G network will have the capacity to increase download speeds by up to 20 times (from 200 mbps (4g) to 10 gbps (5G)) and decreasing latency (response time between devices). These speeds will maximize the browsing experience by facilitating processes that, although possible today, still present difficulties.

b) Hyper connectivity

The 5G network promises the possibility of having a hyper-interconnected environment to reach the point of having the much desired “smart cities”. the correct performance of these new dynamics will depend on the bandwidth of 5G and the internet of things (IOT).

c) Process optimization:

It is also expected to revolutionize areas such as medicine (remote operations, for example), and traffic management and autonomous vehicles, as well as its implementation in the construction sector to optimize resources and reduce risks.

d) AR and VR technology

Augmented reality and virtual reality are reality technologies that either enhance or replace a real-life environment with a simulated one. These are revolutionizing the architecture industry by allowing designers to experience their visions in real life through a 3D model. While AR and VR are similar and often grouped together in conversation, there are significant differences between the two technologies.

AR gives us the ability to apply a digital overlay to our real-life environment. VR is a computer generated environment that you can explore and interact with. Both technologies offer exciting potential for the advancement of processes and opportunities in the architecture and construction sector.

The technological renaissance is transforming industries in ways we’ve never before imagined. The architecture and building sectors have already proved with these innovations and implement them to improve existing practices. Utilising these technologies to optimize our processes and bring our visions to life will set ourselves apart as bench markers in the road construction revolution. If we toying with the idea of incorporating VR and AR technologies into our practice, now’s the perfect time with 5G.

(i) Augmented reality (AR) Augments your surroundings by adding digital elements to a live view, often by using the camera on a smartphone. 5G will usher in a network for AR to operate on, offering faster, more uniform data rates and the low latency required for real-time video interactions, all at a lower cost.

Several types of software algorithms are needed to enable augmented reality. Broadly, these include:

(a) Image registration – Software that takes a photographic representation of one’s surroundings and uses that information to determine various real-world coordinates and objects within it. Image registration maps the real world and determines what is in the foreground vs. what is in the background, where one object ends and another begins, and points of interest as well as additional information.

(b) 3D rendering – With the real world mapped and categorized, the next step is overlaying the augmented reality information on top of it. The 3D renderer creates virtual objects and places them into the appropriate location within the live image. The programming language Augmented Reality Markup Language (ARML) is the current standard for setting the location and appearance of a virtual object.

(c) Content management – Content management is a back-end technology incorporating a system that maintains a database of virtual objects and 3D models.

(d) Interface – Whether it’s a video game or a technical management tool, the interface is the intermediary between the user and the video representation of the augmented reality environment.

(e) Development toolkits – A variety of open source and proprietary technologies are used to give programmers a framework for building AR applications on the platform of their choice.

(ii) Virtual Reality (VR) Virtual reality is a completely immersive experience that replaces a real-life environment with a simulated one. VR technology, which fully exploits the potential of 5G, requires a high bandwidth and the lowest possible latency. with the help of 5G, it will provide users with entertainment with an unprecedented level of realism, making for incredible experiences.

(iii) Advantages Advantages of adopting “AR and VR Technology ” in road construction activities are as under :-

(a) Project planning/preparation
(b) Monitoring real-time project data
(c) Streamlining processes
(d) Ensuring safety and improving workplace safety standards
(e) Creating a clear picture
(f) Staff training/safety training
(g) Remote maintenance
(h)Great team collaboration
(i) Simpler project modifications
(j)Speeding up sales cycle
(k) Labor shortage prevention

6. 5G ENHANCEMENT/IMPACT IN WORKING PROCEDURES/ SOFTWARE’S BEING USED

Works planning & Monitoring

(i) Recce survey & alignment - AR/VR immersive technology will give a major boost in terms of quantity/time & overall scope enhancement leading to quality control & quantity assessments.
(ii) LA & FC assessment preview by VR advantage
(iii) Eqpt to Eqpt communication- Automation will have many advantages likely to avoid human errors.
(iv) Quality
(v) WMS software - 5G can help with its high speed and low latency to operate WMS software. The 5G network will boost data updates and speed up construction activity report submission.
(vi) Drawing & designing on cloud - With the help of 5G drawings and designing of different structures became more easy and efficient, now for a high resolution 3d model rendering a high end device required. It is possible to replace this high-end device with cloud computing through 5G.

(vii) Streaming VR Experiences - We can now provide users a completely immersive video experience through high-quality video vr streaming that is currently almost impossible due to bandwidth and latency concerns.

(viii) Augmented reality with 5G - AR is the overlay of 3D digital building or building component models embedded with data onto real-world sites. the idea is that augmented reality applications can provide a more accurate view of what will be built, including all layers of materials and installations that are often complex to understand through drawings.

For this, 3D plans and even virtual model holograms are used to improve the understanding of the project and facilitate the execution of projects. and even during construction, the ability to see through walls and understand the path of the technical installations facilitates the process, reducing the possibility of errors.

(a) Man management

(i) 5G technology is useful for registration of service voters in the election commission.
(ii) 5G technology is useful in pay & allow systems.

(b) Procurement & Logistics
Benefits of 5G technology on procurement

(i) Logistics. develop more accurate forecasts on when items will be shipped, predict and avoid potential delays ahead of time . improve unnecessary delay by providing live location updates of the orders . optimize transportation roots by utilizing artificial intelligence

(ii) Detailed product monitoring. detailed product monitoring is another key benefit of 5G.

(iii) Inventory management. 5G can also change the way we operate inventory management. The same trackers and sensors used for transportation can be utilized for inventory management purposes. 5G technology allows you to expand your knowledge of inbound goods and inventory and by enabling advanced inventory monitoring, it helps make better use of resources.

(iv) Supply management. 5G is expected to bring revolutionary changes to the way we manage our ss&tc. ar (augmented reality) is one the most impressive applications of 5G technology.

(v) Automatization and IOT. Many companies have already employed the internet of things technology (IOT) for automation purposes. 5G offers a digital infrastructure to support the public

(vi) Real – time data sharing. 5G is especially useful for supply chains because of its capabilities to manage enormous amounts of data with speed and at scale. Because of its low latency, 5G allows us to get information as fast as a sensor defects it.

(c) Budgeting

BMS software - 5G can help with its high speed and low latency to operate BMS software. The 5G network will boost data updates and speed up Financial activity report submission.

7. CONCLUSION

At present innovations have played a major role in the progress of the construction industry, Government sectors have been slow to adopt new technologies. Implementations of smart methods by using the 5G Technology mechanism. (AR/VR tech) etc is the one of the ways to achieve enhancement Road construction activities.