SÃO PAULO – The “internet of things” is still taking shape in Brazil, though some pilot projects are being conducted in the country. At Futurecom 2016, companies showcased some IoT applications of connecting sensors to improve management in agriculture and to measure electricity consumption, for example.
Agribusiness is a major vertical for IoT solutions, and, in Brazil, crops and agriculture are among the major markets. Qualcomm is conducting a trial with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation to use drone technology for precision agriculture. The field tests will go live next January with the goal to understand how it can reduce environmental impact and increase crop yields.
The drone pilot also aims to generate affordable technology solutions for small and medium-sized farms, as well as large industrial agricultural operators. The drone will collect, process, analyze and transmit real-time crop information to farmers and environmental stakeholders in Brazil, as Fred Silva explained to RCR Wireless News in the video interview below.
One of the main barriers to the spread of adoption of IoT in agribusiness is the poor connectivity in rural areas. To bypass this issue, the startup Altave has developed a balloon to distribute internet Wi-Fi access and connect sensors in the fields. Fabio Hashimoto, technology director at PromonLogicalis, explained that the information technology integrator put together IoT solutions focused on enhancing customers’ knowledge of their crops and used a balloon to provide connectivity to the sensors in the fields. In the video interview, he also explained how IoT will help farmers manage their businesses.
Another area that has been on focus for IoT in Brazil is the smart grid. Ricardo Kahn, innovation manager at AES Brasil, said the company has developed projects using IoT technology and is implementing them with two customers as a pilot project. AES, which operates in the Brazilian electricity sector with generation companies, commercialization and distribution of energy, also has a smart grid pilot in the field. Kahn explained all IoT projects in the below video interview:
Renault Nissan has deployed an IoT project to improve the management in its manufacturing plant in Brazil. Luiz Paiva, IT architecture and project delivery, told RCR Wireless News that connectivity is the main issue that holds behind a wide adoption of IoT in Brazil. He noted that technology will be a game changer in the automotive sector as the industry moves to better engaging with customers through connected cars and to find new business models aimed at bringing different sources of revenue.
