LG U+ on Sunday unveiled a 5G solution that can control up to 50 self-driving forklift trucks simultaneously.

According to the South Korean telecommunications company, it has signed a memorandum of understanding with global forklift maker Clark Material Handling Asia, Chinese logistics solutions company Mushiny and domestic measurement solutions firm KN to develop a 5G-based unmanned forklift that can work without the help of a professional operator.

“This is a solution that allows the remote operation of forklifts, a key equipment at all industrial fields including manufacturing plants, logistics centers and harbors, without the help of human touch,” an LG U+ official said.

The 5G-based unmanned forklift demonstrates centimeter-accurate positioning. Also, a worker can group 50 forklifts and operate them simultaneously. Thanks to the 5G network, the worker can check the locations of forklifts in real-time, give them commands without delays, and control them with the accuracy equivalent to that of manual operation.

The four companies will complete the economic feasibility of the forklift within this year and develop a video monitoring solution.

“The unmanned forklift is one of the key piece of equipment to facilitate smart factories and smart logistics. With its business-only 5G network, LG U+ aims to create synergies and lead the unmanned forklift market,” LG U+ Vice President Cho Won-seok said.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)