Rocos is thrilled to have been named winner's of the Spark New Zealand 5G Starter Fund. Four innovative New Zealand businesses have been selected as winners, securing a share of $625,000 to bring some of the country’s first 5G-powered ideas to life.
We were awarded the supreme prize of $250,000, having successuflly showcasing how 5G will bring positive outcomes to communities across New Zealand.
Selected from more than 200 entries that spanned four categories – Next Gen Health, Good for New Zealand, Industry Disruptors, and Immersive Experiences, the Rocos team demonstrated how 5G is an enabling technology that has the potential to solve some of today’s biggest problems.
The judges were impressed with our robotics platform in showcasing how we would use the multiple features of 5G to enhance our software in ways that are not possible with today’s generation of network connectivity. Early access to Spark’s 5G network is set to give us a global competitive advantage, providing benefits that go beyond speed. Robots will be connected 24/7 and will rely on the network for low latency data, but also critical capabilities around reliability, security, and high-speed edge compute which are essential for wide-spread robotic automation.
The Rocos Robot Operations platform has the potential to reach two global target audiences: 190 million enterprise organisations looking to automate physical labour, and robotics companies wanting to remotely operate their large-scale robot fleets.
Existing Cloud and IoT technology is not built for the robotics industry - which requires very high frequency data and extremely low latency connectivity. As a transformative technology, 5G is required for robot connectivity and will allow us to enable features like mapping the environment around a robot in real-time to enhance our platform even further.
As winners, we gain access to the Spark 5G Co-Lab and benefit from 5G tech support and business mentoring by Spark and the judges – local and international industry leaders – over four months, from November 2020 to March 2021.
To find out more about the Spark 5G Starter Fund visit spark.co.nz/5Gstarterfund.
About 5G:
5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology. It has the potential to bring super-fast downloads, minimal latency, massive connectivity, and outstanding reliability. 5G has the potential to reach download speeds of up to 100 times faster than 4G, opening huge possibilities for business and the way New Zealanders live, work and play.
By supporting these local businesses to create some of the first 5G technology applications in the country, we are bringing to life how 5G can improve Kiwi lives and play a role in New Zealand's economic recovery and transformation.
- Mark Beder, Spark Technology Director
