Radio Frequency Technology (RF) in licensed and unlicensed frequencies has been utilized for years in industrial settings. From petroleum production to factory automation, wireless RF has driven significant savings and efficiencies by enabling remote telemetry, monitoring, automation and process control. Additionally, RF is the foundation for command-and-control (C2) of drones and other unmanned systems which are increasingly becoming part of the industrial landscape.
With agricultural products in greater demand than ever before, producers must leverage technologies like RF that can boost production and lower costs. As agriculture moves into the era of real-time data and autonomous systems, RF technology provides the communications backbone for autonomous vehicle Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), drone deployment and smart sensor ecosystems.
Combining RF technology with GPS positioning, RTK allows autonomous vehicles like tractors to navigate crop areas with up to a centimeter level of accuracy. Real-time data corrections can be used for both the precise calculation of a machine’s positioning in the field, as well as for navigation systems that automatically guide the tractors. A wireless Machine-to-Machine (M2M) network featuring a comprehensive installation of wireless RF devices has the potential to solve most of the connectivity issues in autonomous agricultural settings.
Moreover, RF-powered drone technology can help producers optimize resources like fresh water, fertilizers and pesticides. Producers can deploy drones to get aerial images of their fields to identify issues such as irrigation problems, soil variation, and pest/fungal infestations. Additionally, producers can obtain video and multispectral images like infrared to observe the differences between healthy and unhealthy crops and deploy resources accordingly. With drone technology, RF can be used for not only C2, but also for transport of video and sensor data over long distances.
RF Technology can also be a superior alternative to gather real-time data from smart sensor networks that are increasingly deployed in fields. From soil monitoring to pivot irrigation, RF is especially efficient in remote sensor ecosystems that are beyond cellular or Wi-Fi range. Furthermore, RF devices deployed in unlicensed frequency ranges like 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz are much less costly that cellular or Wi-Fi from an OPEX perspective, and can transport data in excess of 90 kilometers. Agricultural equipment vendors worldwide are incorporating RF technology into their products to deliver real-time analytics and action easily and affordably.
A 25 year leader in RF technology, FreeWave will discuss the latest innovations and trends in RF, including Edge Intelligent radios and app programmability in edge devices. With its track record of more than 2 million combat hours flown in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programs of record, FreeWave will shed light on the latest advancements in drone technology and its impact on farm production. As a technology partner with some of the world’s largest agricultural equipment manufacturers, FreeWave will provide insight on powerful new embedded RF systems for agriculture and irrigation systems.
