IoT Video Analytics in Remote Locations

In a data-driven world, the demand for real-time insights globally is growing exponentially in order to make better business decisions. Critical operations, remote assets, and vast, unmonitored territories lie beyond the reach of traditional broadband connectivity. Sending massive streams of video or broadband data over satellite networks becomes impractical, costly, and power-intensive.

This is where a revolutionary synergy emerges: High-Performance AI at the Edge combined with Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). The 3GPP recognized this and began work on a new Narrowband NTN (NB-NTN) standard, which was ratified in 2022. This powerful combination allows complex inferencing, such as detecting people, counting objects, or identifying specific sounds to happen locally on the device. Only small, critical inferred data (e.g., "human detected at 10:30 AM", "gunshot heard" or "smoke plume identified") is sent to the cloud via the robust, low-power Murata CatM/NBIoT module, and Skylo’s commercially-available non-terrestrial network (NTN). The result is real-time intelligence even in the most remote or challenging environments without the need for expensive, bandwidth-heavy infrastructure.

This groundbreaking capability is here today through the collaboration of Synaptics, Skylo, Murata, and Grinn.

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Synaptics Astra™: The Brains at the Edge

At the heart of this intelligent edge lies the Synaptics Astra line of Edge AI processors. Designed for high-performance AI inferencing, the Astra SoC processes complex video and audio streams with remarkable efficiency directly on the device. This means that sophisticated analytics can take place without needing to transmit raw data, drastically reducing bandwidth requirements and power consumption. This helps the user focus on the most important information rather than just the data of bits and bytes. These capabilities make it ideal for remote deployments where efficiency and reliability are critical.

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Skylo's NTN Network: The Ubiquitous Connection

Skylo provides the essential link, offering global, always-on connectivity for these intelligent edge devices across 36 countries and 60 million sq km of coverage. Operating on 3GPP industry standards, Skylo’s NTN network offers distinct advantages. This standardization ensures interoperability across modules and devices, reduces costs through economies of scale, and allows devices to seamlessly switch between terrestrial cellular and satellite networks.

Today, Skylo’s commercial NTN service is available across key global regions, including: North America, Europe, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. This expansive coverage means that a vast array of industries and businesses can now deploy intelligent edge solutions wherever they operate.

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Murata Type 1SC NTN + TN Module

The Murata 1SC-005 module is a Skylo certified Cat M1/NB-IoT + NTN solution that combines ultra-small size with robust, low-power, wide-area connectivity—perfectly designed for the next generation of IoT devices. Engineered with Murata’s renowned quality and innovation, the 1SC-005 NTN module delivers reliable, long-range communication and exceptional energy efficiency, making it the ideal choice for space-constrained applications that demand superior performance and extended battery life. 

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Grinn AstraEVB-1680 with Grinn PCIe m.2 module (based on Murata Type 1 SC): Bringing it All Together

The partnership between Synaptics, Skylo, Murata, and Grinn is not just about connecting the unconnected; it's about bringing true intelligence and actionable insights to the remotest corners of our planet. This powerful convergence of high-performance edge AI and ubiquitous satellite IoT is set to transform how industries operate, protect resources, and ensure safety on a global scale.

The Grinn AstraEVB‑1680 is a compact, production-ready evaluation board built around the Grinn AstraSOM‑1680. It offers multi-camera support, HDMI, USB, GPIOs, and embedded security, serving as the perfect platform to integrate Synaptics' AI capabilities with Skylo's NTN without having to start from scratch. The Grinn AstraEVB-1680 enables developers and integrators to rapidly prototype and deploy AI-powered edge devices that can communicate effectively in remote locations. You can explore more about this innovative board at: https://grinn-global.com/products/grinn-astraevb-1680.

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Unlocking Transformative Use Cases with AI at the Edge

The synergy between Synaptics' powerful edge AI, Skylo's ubiquitous NTN, and Grinn's enabling hardware unlocks a new generation of critical applications, such as:

• Environmental Monitoring & Conservation:
  
  • Anti-Poaching in National Parks: AI-powered cameras equipped with Astra Machina can detect human or vehicle intrusion, identify suspicious behavior, or recognize gunshots (via audio analytics). An alert is sent via the Skylo network, allowing rangers to respond swiftly and save endangered species.
  • Wildfire Detection: Devices strategically placed in forests can use video analytics for early smoke or flame detection. Once detected, the important informational alert is sent real time over NTN, providing fire departments the critical minutes needed to respond and potentially preventing widespread devastation.
  • Illegal Logging Detection: Monitoring remote forest areas for the sounds of chainsaws or the presence of specific vehicles or human activity, sending alerts when detected ensuring the health and longevity of our ecosystem.

• Remote Security & Infrastructure Monitoring:
  
  • Border Security: Cameras can perform real-time video analytics to detect unauthorized intrusions, vehicle movements, or anomalous activity in vast, unmonitored border regions, sending actionable alerts to command centers.
  • Critical Infrastructure Protection: Monitoring isolated power substations, pipelines, or communication towers for unauthorized access, vandalism, or equipment malfunctions through visual and audio cues.
  • Remote Construction Site Security: Detecting trespassers or unusual activity on remote construction sites during off-hours, providing security teams with immediate notifications.

• Worker Safety in Isolated Environments:
  
  • Lone Worker Monitoring: Devices can use audio analytics to detect sounds of distress (screams, calls for help) or use video analytics to identify falls or prolonged inactivity, sending emergency alerts for workers in remote mines, oil rigs, or agricultural fields.
  • Industrial Anomaly Detection: Listening for unusual sounds from machinery (e.g., grinding, hissing, sudden impacts) in remote industrial plants to predict failures or detect safety hazards, allowing for proactive maintenance and preventing accidents.

• Smart Agriculture & Aquaculture:
  
  • Animal Health & Behavior: Monitoring livestock in vast pastures using video to detect limping or unusual clustering, or audio for distress calls, transmitting only critical anomaly data, ensuring that farmers are specifically focused on those parts of their herd that need help. 
  • Automated Pest Detection: Cameras with AI can identify specific pests or signs of disease in crops, triggering precise interventions.

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The partnership between Synaptics, Skylo, Murata, and Grinn is not just about connecting the unconnected; it's about bringing true intelligence and actionable insights to the remotest corners of our planet. This powerful convergence of high-performance edge AI and ubiquitous satellite IoT is set to transform how industries operate, protect resources, and ensure safety on a global scale.

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