Robust and wireless infrastructure for remote timber management

Purpose and goal:

The project is a continuation of Remote Timber, who during the period 2019-2022 developed a remote-controlled timber loader at Torsboda timber terminal. A business case showed great opportunities for increased profitability, but also communication challenges.

The purpose of this project is to develop a functioning 5G communication solution for timber loaders that ensures continuous connection with low delay and high delivery quality. Expected results and effects: The project has three result targets:

1. Build a RAN architecture in a demonstrator environment where the data flow can be guaranteed to 100% over the surface through seamless simultaneous connection.

2. Create 95% coverage over a demonstrator environment modeled after a timber terminal through drone-mounted base stations.

3. Produce a demonstrator that can achieve SLA requirements with a 50% reduction in resource usage compared to Remote Timber. Approach and implementation:

The project is initiated with a needs analysis with experiences from Remote Timber as well as expanded eligibility requirements for an updated communication solution.

Based on the needs analysis, the work packages are implemented: RAN architecture, Reduced resource use through data slicing, MEC-based automation and Drone-mounted 5G base stations. Based on these results, a demonstrator will be produced for remote control in the new 5G network.

The project consists of a consortium with Telia, Ericsson, Volvo CE, SCA, Biometria, Skogforsk and the coordinator Mittuniversitetet.