UofSC, Verizon partner to launch “Innovation Experience… Leave a comment
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The University of South Carolina is partnering with Verizon to launch its new “Innovation Experience Hub.”
Verizon officials announced the hub is now powered with 5g-Ultra Wideband technology, allowing for much faster internet speeds and more efficient data transfer.
According to the University of South Carolina, Verizon 5G Ultra-Wideband offers massive capacity and super-fast speeds for more efficient transfer of information, including large data sets needed to power advanced applications.
Guests got to tour the state-of-the-art innovation center and were exposed to technologies like augmented reality and virtual manufacturing.
The technology used at the innovation center is believed to help revolutionize the manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure industries.
Fadi Kalash, a UofSC student in Computer and Mechanical Engineering, has helped teach robots how to make decisions.
“In this lab, we try to work towards moving away from traditional automation and introducing autonomy into manufacturing processes. So we want our assets to be able to come up with their own decisions on what to do next. And the best way to do that is to utilize all the data that is being generated in our lab,” says Kalash.
Faster internet speeds in the lab will also mean better outcomes for companies that use lab.
“So what we’re doing [at the hub], is companies in S.C. come with those clients, and they sit with our students, faculty, and the company. They describe the problem they’re having in their facility. [For example] BMW or Volvo. [The companies then] sit down with our students and we build a real life solution. And then the company goes and integrates that solution that our students built into the company,” says Bill Kirkland, the Executive Director with the Office of Economic Engagement at UofSC.
Engineers are also using drone technology to inspect local bridges, preventing road closures and traffic jams.
The Innovation Experience Hub inside the McNair Center, is located at 1000 Catawba Street in Columbia.
