The Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, (VT-ARC) working with the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), has won a $13 million Department of Defense contract to develop a 5G-enabled “smart warehouse” at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia.
Fast 5G wireless connectivity combined with internet of things sensor networks promises to change how warehouses move and track items to ensure they arrive at their intended destination in a timely manner. It is no easy task; the 5G communications architecture must be adept at navigating a noisy warehouse environment, be quick about it, and have a long battery life to boot.
CCI was critical to the contract, creating the connections to build a team and funding a substantive portion of the proposal development. CCI researchers from Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, and George Mason University will collaborate across disciplines, including electrical and computer engineering, systems engineering, wireless communications, modeling, simulation, and analysis to develop the low-latency, resilient, and energy-efficient 5G network for the Marine Corps Logistics Base’s smart warehouse prototype. Four industry partners — Intelligent Automation Inc., PerspectaLabs, Keysight, and B3 Advanced Communications — are also part of the project.
Continue reading at: EurekAlert!