maintenance-efficient solution for continuous field data monitoring (“SESAME” is
an abbreviation for sensory data transmission service assisted by Midori engineering). The field data logger of SESAME, which is driven by a solar cell and a
rechargeable battery, is adaptive to various sensors such as water level, rainfall,
land subsidence, tree growth, integrated stations for microclimate and water quality,
and still camera imagery. The obtained sensory data are usually transferred to a cloud
server operated by the Midori Engineering Lab. The route of data transfer is a
wireless communication network supplied by a mobile phone carrier in most
cases, but a satellite-based network and private LPWAs (low power wide area
networks) are also used as required. The field data stored in the cloud server are
handled by a web application known as SESAME-WEB. Users of SESAME can
access the real-time field data from anywhere at any time from a PC, tablet, or mobile
phone. The SESAME system is currently in operation in Japan and also in several
countries in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar) and
Africa (Zambia and Djibouti) and is used in monitoring of river flooding, GWL
and land subsidence in tropical peatland, distribution and quality of irrigation water,
local weather conditions, etc.
The outline of the SESAME system introduced in the WSL-MTI area is shown in
Fig. 5.2. The GWL, rainfall, soil moisture, and temperature are measured at each
child station. To obtain sufficient irradiation to the solar cell and the correct rainfall
data, the vegetation around the child station was cleared. Child stations were
distributed within 3.0–6.5 km from a gateway (parent station). The parent station
was settled at the top of an existing monitoring tower. Currently, two parent stations
are in operation, and each parent station gathers data from 10 child stations every
hour via the private LoRa (long range) network. Although the LoRa network is
effective for long-range communication in an open space (100 km and longer), the
signal strength is rapidly attenuated as it passes through vegetation. Therefore, the
LoRa modules at both child and parent stations were placed above the surrounding
forest canopy. The parent station transmits the received data to the cloud server via a
satellite network (Inmarsat) because no mobile phone networks are available in the
WSL-MTI area. Up to three USB camera modules can be optionally equipped with
the parent station.
The data transmitted to the cloud server are delivered to SESAME users via a web
application (Fig. 5.3). On the web screen, the location of the child stations is shown
on a map. By selecting a child station, the GWL, rainfall, soil moisture, and
temperature obtained at the location are presented. Another screen allows detailed
data analysis at a specific child station and comparisons between locations. When the
GWL drops below a threshold value, an alert e-mail is sent to registered users.
5 Evaluation of Eco-Management of Tropical Peatlands
167
an abbreviation for sensory data transmission service assisted by Midori engineering). The field data logger of SESAME, which is driven by a solar cell and a
rechargeable battery, is adaptive to various sensors such as water level, rainfall,
land subsidence, tree growth, integrated stations for microclimate and water quality,
and still camera imagery. The obtained sensory data are usually transferred to a cloud
server operated by the Midori Engineering Lab. The route of data transfer is a
wireless communication network supplied by a mobile phone carrier in most
cases, but a satellite-based network and private LPWAs (low power wide area
networks) are also used as required. The field data stored in the cloud server are
handled by a web application known as SESAME-WEB. Users of SESAME can
access the real-time field data from anywhere at any time from a PC, tablet, or mobile
phone. The SESAME system is currently in operation in Japan and also in several
countries in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar) and
Africa (Zambia and Djibouti) and is used in monitoring of river flooding, GWL
and land subsidence in tropical peatland, distribution and quality of irrigation water,
local weather conditions, etc.
The outline of the SESAME system introduced in the WSL-MTI area is shown in
Fig. 5.2. The GWL, rainfall, soil moisture, and temperature are measured at each
child station. To obtain sufficient irradiation to the solar cell and the correct rainfall
data, the vegetation around the child station was cleared. Child stations were
distributed within 3.0–6.5 km from a gateway (parent station). The parent station
was settled at the top of an existing monitoring tower. Currently, two parent stations
are in operation, and each parent station gathers data from 10 child stations every
hour via the private LoRa (long range) network. Although the LoRa network is
effective for long-range communication in an open space (100 km and longer), the
signal strength is rapidly attenuated as it passes through vegetation. Therefore, the
LoRa modules at both child and parent stations were placed above the surrounding
forest canopy. The parent station transmits the received data to the cloud server via a
satellite network (Inmarsat) because no mobile phone networks are available in the
WSL-MTI area. Up to three USB camera modules can be optionally equipped with
the parent station.
The data transmitted to the cloud server are delivered to SESAME users via a web
application (Fig. 5.3). On the web screen, the location of the child stations is shown
on a map. By selecting a child station, the GWL, rainfall, soil moisture, and
temperature obtained at the location are presented. Another screen allows detailed
data analysis at a specific child station and comparisons between locations. When the
GWL drops below a threshold value, an alert e-mail is sent to registered users.
5 Evaluation of Eco-Management of Tropical Peatlands
167