Master Thesis: »Creating a wireless network simulation for industrial contexts«

at  Production Technology

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (www.fraunhofer.com) currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany and is a leading applied research organization. Around 32 000 employees work with an annual research budget of 3.4 billion euros.
Wireless networks are becoming increasingly important in industrial contexts due to mobile robotics. These networks enable seamless communication between robots, sensors, and control systems, which enhances flexibility and efficiency in operations. The absence of physical cables allows for greater robot mobility, leading to optimized workflows and reduced downtime.
However, wireless networks suffer from increased latency and jitter, which contrast with existing wired fieldbus systems. High latency can delay command execution, leading to inefficiencies and potential operational disruptions. Jitter, or the variability in packet arrival times, can result in inconsistent performance, affecting the precision and reliability of robotic movements. Both issues can compromise the synchronization between robots and control systems, reducing the overall effectiveness of automated processes.
This thesis aims to create a system that can generate shopfloor setups to simulate wireless network propagation in industrial contexts. Additionally, the system will integrate with a robotics simulation to visualize the changing signal quality as robots navigate the shopfloor. The results will be compared to the real-world data gathered at the Fraunhofer IPT shopfloor.

• Conduct a literature review to understand the current state of network simulations in industrial contexts
• Gather information on modeling a common set of industrial machines for signal propagation
• Implement an algorithm for domain randomization, to randomize the placement of machines and obstructions on the shopfloor, to allow for an infinite number of environments
• Design and execute a set of experiments within this simulation to validate the results