6GEM and 6GEM+: 6G Mobile Communications for Intralogistics

6GEM serves as a 6G research hub for open, efficient, secure and resilient mobile communication systems. The consortium is researching key technologies for 6G mobile communications—including open software and hardware radio platforms, terahertz and millimetre wave (mmWave) communication, security and safety by design, resilient multi-connectivity, cloud-edge computing and joint communication and sensing (JCAS). The technologies developed are validated in open test beds and lay the foundation for future industrial 6G applications.

Fraunhofer IML contributes its expertise in intralogistics and develops test environments featuring an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-capable 5G campus network, motion capture, robot swarms and cloud-edge infrastructures. There, communication, localization and orchestration concepts for highly dynamic logistics processes are investigated and validated under realistic conditions.

6GEM develops  the foundations for open, efficient, secure and resilient 6G mobile communication systems. The research hub addresses key challenges facing future industrial communication networks: high data rates, low latency, energy efficiency, security, reliability and flexible network architectures. In intralogistics, this applies to cooperative robots, vehicle swarms and sensor-based systems.

6GEM addresses these challenges with open 6G system platforms operating in licensed and unlicensed bands, resilient network architectures using cloud-edge computing, terahertz and millimetre wave (mmWave) communication, high-precision localization, joint communication and sensing and security and safety by design.

The technologies developed are being tested in open test beds and form the basis for future applications in manufacturing, intralogistics, mobility and other domains. In particular, Fraunhofer IML is investigating the use of 6G mobile communications, 5G campus networks, 5G Advanced and cloud-edge computing for highly dynamic robotic systems, autonomous vehicles and digital twins in intralogistics.

6GEM+ builds on the scientific findings of 6GEM and translates them into industrial practice. The goal of the transfer hub is to collaborate with industry partners to develop value-oriented 6G communication systems for connected production, intralogistics, mobility and emergency response. The focus is on the Industrial Metaverse, Next-Generation Digital Twins (ngDT), extended reality (XR)-supported teleoperation, 5G Advanced and end-to-end 6G system concepts for the connected digital industry.

Together with industry partners who participate as use-case mentors in their respective domains, the project validates the developed technologies in real-world test environments and transfers them to industrial applications.

Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) is responsible for application transfer within the project and, among other things, is developing communication-optimized multi-robot systems, networked digital twins and cloud-edge orchestration for highly dynamic logistics processes. The solutions are tested in realistic test environments with an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-capable fifth generation (5G) campus network, in collaboration with project partners and use-case mentors, and prepared for industrial transfer.

Erproben Sie 6GEM- und 6GEM+-Lösungsansätze in realitätsnahen Logistikumgebungen des Fraunhofer IML.

• Test 6GEM and 6GEM+ solution approaches in Fraunhofer IML’s realistic logistics environments.
• Validate 5G and 6G communication concepts with use cases in the intralogistics test bed, in the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-enabled 5G campus network or in a real-world industrial environment 
• Investigation of localization and joint communication and sensing solutions in robot swarms
• Development and testing of networked digital twins for logistics processes and robotics
• Analysis of cloud-edge computing, 5G Advanced and communication-optimized robot control 
• Evaluation of reliability, energy efficiency, latency and bandwidth utilization in 5G (and future 6G)-based logistics networks 

Contact the 6GEm TeaM

“6GEM and 6GEM+ integrate 6G mobile communications with, among other things, realistic logistics scenarios. At Fraunhofer IML, we use an intralogistics test bed equipped with an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-capable 5G campus network, a motion-capture system and highly dynamic robots and transport systems. This enables us to validate 6G-based communication, networked digital twins, cloud-edge computing and the Industrial Metaverse, while transferring the developed approaches into industrial applications through 6GEM+."
Julia Freytag M. Sc., Team Leader for Networked Robotics and Systems, conducts research on 6GEM and 6GEM+ at Fraunhofer IML

6GEM and 6GEM+ combine open 6G platforms with real-world test beds. Open software and hardware wireless platforms, 5G Advanced, Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), terahertz communication, millimetre wave (mmWave) technologies, Security by Design and Joint Communication and Sensing form the technological foundation for new industrial communication systems.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) intralogistics test facility applies these technologies to specific logistics processes. Two research halls equipped with a 5G campus network, Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) functionality, a motion capture system that tracks several hundred objects in real time with submillimeter accuracy, a laser projection system, cable-guided robots and highly dynamic robotic systems enable sophisticated test scenarios for real-time communication, localization, multi-connectivity and cloud-edge computing orchestration of multi-robot systems.

High-speed systems such as LoadRunner®, evoBOT®, O3dyn, autonomous mobile robots, drones and digital twins are used for a variety of purposes. The systems are integrated with cloud-edge architectures, among other things, to flexibly distribute computationally intensive tasks—such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), object recognition, collision avoidance and human-robot interaction—between on-device, edge and cloud environments.

6GEM+ expands on these approaches to include Industrial Metaverse applications, next-generation digital twins and end-to-end network co-design. The goal is to jointly optimize communication, computing and control, thereby reliably supporting large robot swarms, highly dynamic material flows and networked production and logistics processes.

Test 6G mobile communication concepts and the Industrial Metaverse in realistic logistics environments.

• Use of the intralogistics test bed for 5G and 6G prototypes, proof-of-concepts and evaluation studies with real-world use cases
• Collaboration on 6GEM+ reference scenarios and use cases for logistics
• Participation in workshops and knowledge-transfer formats such as “6G Transfer to Logistics”

Request 6GEM+ use case collaboration

At the intralogistics test site in Dortmund, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) is investigating 6G communication, 5G Advanced and high-recision localization for dynamic logistics systems. The test environment comprises two research halls covering approximately 1,500 square meters, an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-capable 5G campus network, motion-capture systems and highly dynamic robotics.

The logistics environment consists of LoadRunner®, evoBOT®, O3dyn, autonomous mobile robots, drones and human operators. Metallic surfaces, reflections, shadows and artificially generated attenuation scenarios replicate typical challenges found in industrial wireless environments. This allows for the practical investigation of multi-connectivity, perceptive communication, joint communication and sensing, energy efficiency and reliable communication.

In 6GEM+, these scenarios are expanded. Fraunhofer IML is developing networked digital twins of robots, processes and networks and integrating them with cloud-edge orchestration solutions. Computationally intensive tasks such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), object recognition, collision avoidance and human-robot interaction are distributed contextually across on-device systems, edge servers or cloud infrastructures. Evaluations show that adaptive orchestration extends process runtimes, reduces energy consumption and lowers bandwidth usage.

This approach establishes a foundation for highly scalable machine-type communication, communication-sensitive robot control and 6G network co-design in intralogistics. The goal is to connect large robot swarms, autonomous transport systems and digital logistics processes reliably, energy-efficiently and with low latency.

The Fraunhofer IML is also contributing its expertise in communication-optimized robot control and cloud-edge orchestration to the rescue test field. The German Rescue Robotics Center (DRZ) in Dortmund provides a “Living Lab” with indoor and outdoor areas for this purpose. Mobile absorber walls and changing environmental conditions enable scenarios that are challenging from a radio communication perspective.

The rescue test field evaluates networked systems and robot swarms for civil emergency response. 6GEM investigates robust 6G communication for ad hoc networks, mission-critical services and varying channel characteristics. 6GEM+ applies these approaches to real-world scenarios and expands them to include cloud-edge orchestration, digital twins and AI-supported process distribution.

To achieve this, Fraunhofer IML is adapting concepts from intralogistics. Among other things, mission-critical robotics services such as reconnaissance, object recognition, situational awareness and human-robot interaction are orchestrated via cloud, edge and on-device systems so that they function even under unstable communication conditions. Studies on process offloading show that static cloud-edge pipelines can be improved in terms of latency and energy efficiency under real-world conditions. The combination of 6G-connected infrastructure, digital twins and AI-supported orchestration addresses these limitations and supports rescue teams with stable, low-latency and scalable solutions. This approach delivers resilient, low-latency and scalable communication solutions for rescue teams and mobile robotics in challenging operational environments.

6GEM and 6GEM+ bring together expertise across the entire 6G value chain. The participating universities and research institutions are working on communication technology, open platforms, terahertz systems, millimetre wave (mmWave) technologies, security, resilient networks, artificial intelligence (AI)-native networking and industrial test beds.

Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) complements this foundational work with strong expertise in intralogistics, automation, networked robotics and 6G mobile communications in real-world test environments. At the Production and Communication Technologies for Efficient Logistics (PACE)-Lab, the institute operates an intralogistics test bed featuring a 5G campus network, Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) functionality, a motion capture system, cloud-edge infrastructure and highly dynamic robotic systems such as LoadRunner®, evoBOT® and O3dyn.

6GEM+ uses this infrastructure to further develop 5G Advanced and future 6G concepts for highly dynamic logistics processes, connected production and mobility, emergency response scenarios and the Industrial Metaverse. Together with use-case mentors, the project develops innovation profiles, reference scenarios, transfer formats and demonstrators that accelerate the transition from 6G research to industrial application.