Professional grade tablet designed for precision agriculture

10th May 2017

Panasonic

Alice Matthews

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Datasheet

In collaboration with u-blox, Panasonic has announced the launch of what it claims to be the world’s first tablet using centimetre-level RTK-GNSS technology. Toughpad, the newly born version of Panasonic’s professional grade notebooks family, is specifically designed for precision agriculture, machine control and robotic guidance applications in harsh environments and conditions. Embedded in the tablet is a u-blox NEO-M8 GNSS receiver module delivering high integrity and precision in demanding applications worldwide.

First successfully tested for collecting snow in Hokkaido, the Toughpad tablet uses Panasonic’s own satellite positioning technology combining a satellite radio receiver module, wireless WAN, and a single band Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver connected to an external antenna. This system enables high precision positioning down to centimeter-level in open sky conditions.

"We needed a high quality, reliable and robust GNSS module for this tablet designed to be used in rugged environments. The NEO-M8 from u-blox was therefore the right choice," explained Tetsuya Sakamoto, General Manager, Mobile Solutions Business Division, Development Centre at Panasonic.

"It was very exciting to collaborate with a market leader such as Panasonic in developing a product that would guarantee precise positioning for a wide range of professional applications. This implementation will support the global expansion of the high precision market where u-blox is a key player," explained Tesshu Naka, Country Manager at u-blox Japan.