Press Release Jan 24, 2022 Nippon Koei and KDDI begin proof-of-concept project for local 5G at Thailand industrial park-Aiming for smart factories through 5G and the creation of a 5G communications infrastructure for Japanese corporations-

Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.
KDDI Corporation

Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. (HQ: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President: Hiroaki Shinya; hereafter "Nippon Koei") and KDDI Corporation (HQ: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President: Makoto Takahashi; hereafter "KDDI") have been selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' proof of concept project (Note1) for the usage of local 5G (Note2) at an industrial park in the Kingdom of Thailand, with the project to begin on Jan. 24, 2022.

In this project, software for providing remote work support using 4K 360-degree cameras and software for AI analysis and decision-making based on camera images and audio taken of factory equipment will be provided for an industrial park in Thailand to enable the creation of smart factories.

Through this project, the two companies aim to evaluate the utility and effectiveness of 5G public standardization and 5G virtualization technology in overseas countries to lead to the creation of digital solutions that use 5G and the expansion overseas of 5G-related technologies. The project also aims to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society through promoting support for the export of Japanese digital technologies to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries and promoting support for ICT infrastructure maintenance.

Three 5G base stations that meet standards for 5G wireless and telecommunications defined by 3GPP (Note3) as well as the O-RAN specifications defined by the O-RAN Alliance (Note4) will be installed in a factory of Daikin Industries (Thailand) Ltd. (President: Junichi Omori) in the Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate. Software for remote work support using 4K 360-degree cameras and software for AI analysis and decision-making based on camera images and audio taken of factory equipment will be tested.

• Period：Jan. 24, 2022 to early part of March, 2022
• Place：An area of around 120 square meters in a factory of Daikin Industries (Thailand) Ltd. in the Amata City Chonburi Industrial Estate

4K, 360-degree cameras capable of showing local equipment, structure, worker locations and inspections, etc. will send video via 5G to a remotely-located supervisor. Additionally, local workers will have wearable cameras that can be used by the remote supervisor to see what the workers are looking at. Through the usage of live video provided from these cameras at extremely low latencies, the remotely located supervisor will be able to provide two-way communication support, which can fill in for gaps in the experience or skill of on-site employees. Additionally, the remote support is intended to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading and to save on transportation costs.

Partner company: Ricoh Co., Ltd. (HQ: Ota Ward, Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Yamashita)

4K 360-degree camera remote work support

Video of factory equipment taken by network-connected cameras and uncompressed audio of the equipment will be sent to a cloud server via the 5G network. AI analysis of the data sent to the cloud will enable monitoring of the equipment status and detecting signs of malfunction. This is intended to cut costs through preventive maintenance, make maintenance more efficient, and reduce the burden on workers.

Partner companies：Lega Co., Ltd. (HQ: Bangkok, Thailand; President: Akinori Maya)
Brains Technology, Inc. (HQ: Minato Ward, Tokyo; President: Sawako Hamanaka)
KORG, Inc. (HQ: Inagi, Tokyo; President: Seiki Kato)
ANIMO, Ltd. (HQ: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Executive Chairman and President: Ichiro Hattori)

AI analysis and decision-making based on camera images and recorded audio taken of equipment

• Nippon Koei：Overall project management as construction consultants
• KDDI (KDDI Thailand)：Installation of equipment in the factory and network construction