LG Uplus teams up with Potenit to launch 5G port automation service

South Korea’s LG Uplus said on Tuesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Potenit, a local company dedicated to unmanned automation robots, to develop a 5G-based solution to automate logistics work at ports.

The two companies aim to launch a commercial service in 2021 with a solution that combines the unmanned and automated technologies of logistics facilities owned by Potenit and 5G technologies of LG Uplus.

Specifically, the two will cooperate on sophisticating self-driving technologies for 5G-based unmanned facilities, connecting unmanned facilities with 5G network infrastructure, creating a control system based on mobile edge computing, and remote control of unmanned facilities based on ultra-low latency video transmission technology.

LG Uplus, which formed partnership with Seoho Electric last August, has demonstrated the world's first smart port operation based on 5G commercial network at Busan Port, and it plans a service for unmanned automation of port logistics facilities in the first half in cooperation with Potenit. LG Uplus said it will analyze logistics facilities and the field environment to specify available service options in the second half.

When the logistics automation service goes commercial, a number of logistics facilities in the port will transport containers on self-driving cars, and the port control center will be able to conduct monitoring and remote control with a small number of people through 5G communication.

LG Uplus will actively seek to verify and commercialize related technologies to transform domestic ports into smart ports, said Seo Jae-yong, executive vice president of convergence business at LG Uplus.

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