Technologies and Initiatives in Smart Agriculture and Smart Agricultural Machines in the Japanese Market

 

 

IG Forum (SG08): Technologies and Initiatives in Smart Agriculture and Smart Agricultural Machines in the Japanese Market

Date: 16:00-18:00, Monday, 10th July 2023 (MoC)
Room: Room 302*

Related Technical Committee: TC 8.1. Control in Agriculture
Planned by: IFAC2023 Industry Subgroup on Smart Agriculture (SG08)

Organizer:
Shigemi Hidaka (Yanmar Agribusiness Co., Ltd.  Japan)

Session Chair:
Chair: Shigemi Hidaka (Yanmar Agribusiness Co., Ltd.  Japan)

Speakers:
Noboru Noguchi (Hokkaido University) - Moderator
Timo Oksanen (Technische Universität München) - Keynote Speaker
Kazunobu Hayashi (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization) - Speaker
John F. Reid (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) - Speaker
Shigemi Hidaka (Yanmar Agribusiness Co., Ltd.) - Speaker
Yoshito Hayakawa (Kubota Corporation) - Speaker
Tatsuzo Murakami (Iseki & Co., Ltd.) - Panelist

 

* NOTE: Room changed from 413 to 302 (June 7th)

Abstract

In recent years, short-distance monitoring type unmanned tractors, combine harvesters, and rice transplanters have been marketed in Japan. Yield maps, variable fertilization, etc. have also been put into practical use, and the use of systems that support the entire farm management is expanding. We will propose and discuss how these products, technologies, and systems will develop in the future, and how they can contribute to the current agricultural issues not only in Japan but also in the world.

Session Program

This forum consists of the following 5 plenary speeches & discussion:
16:00-16:20 Timo Oksanen: ”Prospects for autonomous Agricultural machine”
16:20-16:35 Kazunobu Hayashi: ”Future Vision of Autonomous Agricultural Machinery Suited to the Uniqueness of Japan”
16:35-16:50 John F. Reid: "Current Status and Future State of Autonomous Agricultural Machinery: Global Perspective"
16:50-17:05 Shigemi Hidaka: "Ability and Expected Effects of Autonomous Agricultural Machinery, and Future Prospects" 
17:05-17:20 Yoshito Hayakawa: “Prospects for agricultural DX”
17:20-18:00 Discussion (Moderated by Noboru Noguchi)
17:50-18:00 Wrap-up

 

 

Biography of Speakers

Timo Oksanen is currently associate professor in Technical University of Munich, in Germany. He has worked last twenty years in the field of agricultural machinery automation, including engineering aspects of autonomous tractors and tractor-implement automation (e.g. ISOBUS). In their lab, they work in research questions related to navigation algorithms, path planning algorithms, positioning systems and sensor fusion, perception sensors and algorithms, electro-hydraulic systems, advanced control engineering methods with mechatronics and using artificial intelligence for signal processing. He has been active in ISO standardization since 2006 related to subcommittee agricultural electronics and especially mobile machinery. His current teaching portfolio consists of tractor engineering fundamentals, positioning and navigation techniques for off-road machinery, tractor-implement communication technology and robotics and automation applications for agriculture.

 


 

Prof. Noboru Noguchi is currently Dean of Research Faculty of Agriculture of Hokkaido University, Japan and Distinguished Professor of Hokkaido University. His laboratory “Vehicle Robotics Laboratory” has developed altogether more than 20 agricultural field robots since 1990 and the current fleet consists of 15 robot tractors, a robot combine harvester, an automatic rice transplanter, 4 UAV’s and a boat. Prof. Noguchi has made many contributions to both industries and universities in applications of advanced technologies to agricultural systems. He is highly recognized internationally for his contributions in robotic applications on off-road equipment. Lately, he is devoting to develop a multi robot system. And, he is also developing an intelligent machine vision for an agricultural mobile robot.

 


 

Mr. Kazunobu Hayashi joined the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) in 1996. He was engaged in the development of seeding and fertilizing application machines for paddy fields and contributed to the spread of direct-seeded rice cultivation in Japan. Later, he was involved in the development of an information management system for agriculture and an operation system for multiple robot tractors with remote monitoring. Since April 2023, he has served as the Manager of the Division of Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Research at NARO. He received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Prize at the Japan Open Innovation Awards.

 


 

Dr. John F. Reid is Research Professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He has more than 35 years of technology leadership experience in industry and academia. He was previously on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1986-2000) where his research focused on sensing, automation, and control of agricultural systems. His industry career included 19 years with Deere and Company leading the early development of field robotics capabilities and serving as Director Product Technology and Innovation for 14 years. Reid received his B.S./M.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering from Virginia Tech and his PhD in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University where his dissertation topic was computer vision algorithms for agricultural vehicle guidance. He has more than 270 publications and 33 patents focused on automation of agricultural and biological systems. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2019 for innovation in automation technologies for agricultural systems.


 

Dr. Shigemi Hidaka joined Yanmar in 1986, engaged in the development of combine harvesters for about 16 years, and obtained a degree in 2008 based on the research theme at that time. He has been engaged in tractor development since 2002 and has contributed to the development of continuously variable tractors. After that, he served as director of tractor development and tractor product manager, and from 2018 he has served as general manager of advanced development department and executive engineering officer. He received the 2003 Mori Technology Award and the 2007 Osaka Excellent Invention Award.

 

 


 

Mr. Yoshito Hayakawa is the general manager of Farm and Industrial Machinery R&D Department IV at Kubota Corporation. He joined Kubota in 1996 and he was engaged in the development of control software. He started working on the development of the farm management information system "KSAS" in 2012 and contributed to the launch of KSAS with the development of the wireless communication device. Since 2021, he has served as the current position, promoting the development of KSAS and IoT technologies.

 

 

 


 

Mr. Tatsuzo Murakami is the Deputy General Manager of the Tractor Engineering Department at ISEKI & co.,ltd. He joined ISEKI in 1986 and has worked in tractor development and technical service department, developing of work equipment, medium and large size tractors. Since 2016, he has been serving as Deputy General Manager of the Tractor Engineering Department, contributing to the development of automatic steering and robotic tractors in large size tractors. He received the Shikoku local Commendation for Invention in 2014.