Analysis:
At first blush, the RB5 could be considered just an upgrade from Qualcomm’s RB3 platform that was released in February 2019. Yes, the RB5 provides multiple incremental improvements over its RB3 predecessor, including multiple cameras and extra processing power for machine learning and computer vision work, but the platform also provides a whole range of new features. Most critical is the RB5’s built-in support for both 4G LTE and 5G connectivity via a companion module. This makes the RB5 especially suitable for drones and robots deployed outdoors where high-end compute at the edge and 5G’s secure low latency connectivity are critical for perception, localization, mapping, and navigation. - Dan Kara

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