The overarching goal of the intelligent edge for sustainable agriculture Catalyst is to investigate how 5G capabilities combined with other open emerging technologies can be leveraged to enable sustainable precision agriculture use cases. Seven United Nations (UN) sustainability goals are driving pillars for this Catalyst:
- Zero Hunger
- Clean Water and sanitation
- Affordable and clean energy
- Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life on the land
In phase I of this project, the use cases that harness the power of 5G and intelligent edge computing were identified and targeted to empower sustainable agriculture use cases. For phase II of this project, the main focus was to overcome the different technical challenges to allow the creation of edge solutions at scale and also being able to analyze the commercial viability of the project, making the changes needed to make it happen as new challenges arose.
5G connectivity and smart edge computing, along with smart data, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and robotic capabilities, are all advancing agriculture. This Catalyst aims to provide an overall plan for easily provisioning, configuring, and deploying such 5G agricultural use cases, focusing on two specific use cases:
- Animal Care
- Smart Weeding
Use of the latest technologies
5G
Network slicing plays a pivotal role in unleashing the potential of high-value use cases by harnessing the capabilities of 5G:
- Unprecedented throughput, surpassing speeds of 10 Gbps.
- Exceptional reliability and minimal latency, ensuring optimal performance.
- Seamless integration of a vast number of connected machines for enhanced connectivity.
Edge Computing
Using edge computing, in conjunction with 5G network slicing, facilitates the swift implementation of solutions that require efficient generation, analysis, and execution of data.
AI/ML
The ability to make real-time decisions through connected devices relies on AI/ML models that facilitate autonomous operations, decreasing reliance on human labor.
Robotics/Drones
The convergence of robotics advancements with 5G edge AI brings forth exciting opportunities for automation, paving the way for safer and more efficient solutions across various industries.
Use Cases:
| Use cases | Includes |
| Livestock management | – Animal monitoring ( remote, vast fields)
– Animal Count – Animal Location – Animal Health |
| Autonomous Weeding | – Identify / Detect Weed
– Recommended actions (spraying) |
Livestock Management
Enhanced animal monitoring using cutting-edge precision livestock farming (PLF) technology empowered by 5G-enabled cameras. Integrating 5G-connected Cameras on farms enables more accurate animal tracking and health monitoring across expansive, isolated regions. This proactive approach enables farmers to promptly identify and isolate ill cows, mitigating the risk of infections spreading within the herd. Consequently, this advancement empowers farmers to make informed decisions regarding their livestock, resulting in improved animal welfare and enhanced farming practices.
Autonomous Weeding
Using the images and videos collected by drones, and processing the data with Multi-access edge computing (MEC), Artificial intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), combined with wind and weather data, spraying actions are created. Drones then make spraying passes, having closed-loop feedback to make decisions in real time. This reduces the need for pesticides, increases production, and allows remote interventions and management.
Participants
In phase II, the Catalyst champions are TELUS, Verizon, and NTT, and participants are AWS, EPAM, Etiya, Intraway, OneCupAI, RedHat, and Vantiq.
Solution
- TELUS and Verizon offer 5G networks and MEC orchestration enabled by RedHat.
- ETIYA enables network commerce and marketplace capabilities for agriculture and telco.
- Vantiq enables marketplace capabilities for agriculture and telco.
- Intraway receives TMF 641 Service Orders from Etiya and uses Symphonica’s no-code, cloud-native Orchestration, Activation, and Provisioning platform to create all the needed slices in the network.
- EPAM & OneCup AI integrates ecosystem capabilities and provides AI/ML capabilities.
The future is here, and it’s powered by the synergy of 5G, edge computing, AI, and network slicing. Download the our white paper “Empowering Agriculture: 5G slicing, Edge computing, AI, and IoT” now to unlock a world of innovation and growth.
For more information about this Catalyst:
https://myaccount.tmforum.org/networks/23-0-504/index.html
