NTT, Kubota, and NTT DOCOMO have completed a joint demonstration aimed at stabilising communications for remote farm robots operating in mountainous areas.
The test combined mobile and satellite communications with video control technology to support continuous video transmission. The companies said the system maintained video visibility even when communication conditions fluctuated.
Japan has been promoting smart agriculture as its farming workforce ages. A Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries document showed that Japan had 1.40 million core persons mainly engaged in farming in 2019, with an average age of 66.8.
Japan has also introduced legislation to promote smart agricultural technology. MAFF material says the policy includes support for service providers using technologies such as drones and robot combine harvesters.
Connectivity challenge in remote farming
The demonstration focused on unstable connectivity in fields where terrain and physical obstructions can affect mobile network quality. In hilly and mountainous areas, delays or disconnections can disrupt the video and data feeds used for agricultural robots.
Japan’s hilly and mountainous regions account for around 40% of the country’s cultivated land, according to the companies. The OECD has also noted that these areas account for about 40% of Japan’s agricultural land and output. It said they face physical disadvantages in agricultural production.
The companies said stable communications are needed for robotic machinery operating within fields or travelling between them. The companies also pointed to regulatory work in Japan on the use of robotic agricultural machinery on public roads. The proposed safety conditions include remote monitoring.
Mobile and satellite links work together
The companies tested a multi-link control approach that uses both mobile and satellite communication links. The system uses communication quality data from each link to adjust the connection path.
When mobile network quality weakened, satellite communications were used to supplement the connection. The companies said this helped maintain stable communications in mountainous farmland, where mobile coverage can vary across different locations.
Video compression focuses on critical areas
The demonstration also used video control technology to keep remote video feeds usable during operation. The video system prioritises image quality around the machine’s travel path and visible crops, while compressing less critical parts of the feed.
The approach compresses non-critical areas of the video feed while preserving visibility in areas needed for operation. The system also uses predicted communication bandwidth to adjust compression before network quality affects the feed.
Roles in the demonstration
NTT provided Cradio, its wireless quality prediction technology. It also provided the Cooperative Infrastructure Platform, which controls multiple communication links based on predicted network quality. NTT implemented the demonstration.
Kubota supplied the robotic agricultural machinery and the field used for the test. DOCOMO provided the video control technology that preserves image quality in selected areas while compressing other parts of the video feed.
The companies said the technologies tested in the project will be used to improve communications and video transmission for robotic agricultural machinery. According to the announcement, the work is aimed at improving the practicality of remote operation and monitoring, with the goal of supporting fully autonomous operations.
(Photo by ThisisEngineering)
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