Sharp Develops Long-Range Video Monitoring Technology

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Sharp Corporation has developed long-range video monitoring technology which uses AI to analyze and record video streamed from locations 5 to 10 km away. This technology was developed in collaboration with Harada Laboratory at Kyoto University (hereinafter "Kyoto University"), Watanabe Laboratory at Waseda University (hereinafter "Waseda University"), and Oita Asahi Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "OAB"), as part of the Ultra-Coverage Beyond 5G Wireless and Video Coding through Japan–US–Australia R&D Collaboration project (*1) commissioned by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan.

This technology consists of long-range video transmission technology developed by Kyoto University, which enables the long-range 4K video transmission using a wireless transmission method based on very high frequency waves (VHF band), and Sharp's Dynamic Video Monitoring Technology, which recognizes the behavior of subjects in real-time without pre-training. Compared to conventional technologies, this new technology requires less preparation time for AI video analysis. In the future, this technology is expected to be utilized in a wide range of applications, including hazard detection and remote monitoring of disaster sites and evacuation shelters.

To verify the effectiveness of this technology, Sharp conducted field tests in and outside Japan from March 2025 to January 2026 and demonstrated its applicability across various fields. In Japan, tests involving the monitoring of animal behavior at zoos and aquariums, as well as the streaming of live video from ships at sea were carried out. Overseas, a field test to monitor grazing cattle in remote areas has been conducted with Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

To further advance the wireless communication and video compression technologies used in the long-range video monitoring technology, Sharp is submitting proposals at international standardization conferences for wireless communication and video compression, aiming for adoption in Beyond 5G, the next-generation communication standard, and Beyond VVC, the next-generation video compression standard, both to be formulated as international standards. Furthermore, Sharp is committed to supporting digital transformation through long-range wireless communication and AI technologies, aiming to apply these solutions not only to animals and ships—as demonstrated in this proof-of-concept—but also to a wide range of fields, including transportation infrastructure and disaster response.