- Nokia Bell Labs showed off a dynamic digital twin project during its 100-year celebration in Murray Hill, New Jersey
- The demo showed how warehouse managers could remotely make changes to a warehouse floor using robots
- Nokia expects that it will roll this out as a proof-of-concept within a year
During its 100-year celebration at its Bell Labs facility in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Nokia showcased a dynamic digital twin project aimed at transforming warehouse management.
The demonstration illustrated how warehouse managers could remotely monitor and control warehouse operations using robots. The system, powered by real-time, photo-realistic digital twins, allows users to see an accurate virtual representation of a physical warehouse and track changes as they happen, according to Matthew Andrews, research scientist in the AI lab at Bell Labs.
How Nokia’s digital twin technology works
Andrews led the demo using a warehouse mockup with 10 boxes on three shelves. He showed how the system reflects inventory movements in real time. A robot was used to move boxes, and the digital twin instantly updated to mirror those changes.
“This technology allows a warehouse manager to monitor operations remotely, understand what’s changed, and even send instructions to make adjustments,” Andrews explained.
Nokia is also experimenting with what Andrews called “industrial GPT” — a system that uses natural language to interact with and describe physical spaces.
"This could be used by a warehouse manager, from a remote location, could keep track of the warehouse, understand what's changed, and potentially send instructions to fix it," Andrews said.
Currently in the research phase, Nokia expects to begin proof-of-concept deployments of the tech within a year. Although specific partners weren’t named, Andrews mentioned discussions with a warehouse owner in the UAE as one of the potential early adopters.
Nokia, a leading provider of private networking solutions in the West according to Dell'Oro Group, continues to spotlight advanced automation technologies as part of its broader industrial innovation strategy.