On June 12, 2025, the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) and hytec inter announced the results of a demonstration test in which two construction machines at the Tsukuba Construction DX Test Site in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, were connected to a remote control room in Hokkaido via a local 5G network and Starlink satellite link (Starlink Mini) and operated remotely.
♦ Tsukuba Construction DX Test Site
• Satellite antenna (Starlink Mini): SpaceX's small portable antenna for low-orbit satellite communications (0.9 kg, 30.5 cm x 25.4 cm x 3.8 cm, 1 Ethernet port)
• Local 5G network: Low-cost local 5G server (5G core, CU/DU) from Japan's hytec inter and RU from Taiwan
• HD cameras: Four cameras installed on each construction machine, two bird's-eye view cameras deployed on the ground, for a total of 10 cameras
♦ hytec inter's Hokkaido Test Center
Two cockpits were installed at the Hokkaido test center, located 900 km away from the Tsukuba site. Operators remotely operated earthmoving and transportation operations while viewing live footage from the site transmitted via a local 5G network and satellite network.
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By utilizing a local 5G network and a low-orbit satellite network with low latency, and a low-latency encoder, end-to-end latency of 180 ms was achieved ➔ Efficient unmanned construction (remote construction) was confirmed to be possible in areas where communication means are difficult to secure, such as mountainous areas, for civil engineering work.
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This is such an interesting perspective on using Starlink for local soccer random 5G deployment! I'm curious: how do you think the latency concerns inherent in satellite connection effect real-time remote control of heavy machinery? It appears to be a game changer, but I'm wondering if there are any specific instances in which it may fall short.
This is really fascinating! The demonstration of remotely operating construction machinery from 900km away using 5G and Starlink Mini is a huge leap for infrastructure development, especially in challenging environments. Imagine the safety benefits and efficiency gains. It almost makes me think of how smoothly a game like Slope Unblocked runs, even with complex graphics – the low latency here is just as critical for real-world applications. Great to see such innovative progress!