TrialsNet at Ericsson Imagine Italy: Changing the Game event

Ericsson Imagine Italy is an annual event that has become a key reference point for the telecom ecosystem and a hub for discussions on digital innovation.

Held on November 7th at the MEET cultural center in Milan, the event brought together representatives from operators, industries, institutions, and technology partners with the goal of sharing visions and fostering new collaborations to accelerate the development of the digital infrastructures Italy needs to strengthen its competitiveness.

Ericsson and IIT Showcase Groundbreaking 5G-Powered AI Prosthesis

In a dedicated experience room, Ericsson and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) presented the TrialsNet project, featuring a prosthetic hand that leverages the power of 5G and Artificial Intelligence to deliver a more intuitive and seamless user experience.

As demonstrated in October during Ericsson R&D Italy Innovation Day, the core objective was to show how mobile communication technology enables a prosthesis to perform complex tasks without being burdened by heavy onboard computers. By offloading intensive AI algorithm processing to high-performance remote servers via a 5G connection, the prosthesis remains lightweight and energy-efficient.

Visitors witnessed the prosthesis in action, utilizing object segmentation and advanced AI algorithms developed in the Ericsson and IIT labs in Genoa. Thanks to these technologies, the hand can autonomously adapt its movement and grip as it approaches an object, a capability demonstrated in the trials in Pisa (UC9).

The demonstration attracted strong interest from attendees, including representatives of all major Italian telecom operators, who engaged with numerous questions to the presenters: Giancarlo Sacco from Ericsson and Federico Vasile, Giulia Caserta, and Lorenzo Natale from IIT.