The performance of the drone “base”...

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The performance of the drone “base” developed by VFR and others, essential for unmanned operation

VFR (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), ACSL, SENSYN ROBOTICS (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), and SUNDRED (same as above) have a "drone port" that can automatically take off and land and charge flying robots (drones). was jointly developed. It will go on sale within the year and aims to sell more than 100 units in Japan in 2023. A drone port, which serves as a “base”, is indispensable for the social implementation of drones. The idea is to realize full-scale unmanned operation and accelerate the drone business. (Editorial Committee member Ayumu Shimada)

"Even though it is an automatic flight drone, in reality, it is necessary for multiple staff to go to the site and make various preparations." Koichiro Yuasa, president of VFR, explains the actual situation of drone operation.

In addition to taking time to prepare, it takes a lot of effort just to go to the site for infrastructure inspection deep in the mountains and transportation to remote islands. With a drone port, all operations can be performed in one operation, and automated work and unmanned operation such as "home medical care and drug delivery by drone" are possible.

Indispensable for unmanned operation, VFR etc. Performance of Drone

The outside of the port is an environment-resistant shelter structure that can withstand snow and direct sunlight in summer, and the drone automatically takes off and lands by opening and closing the shelter. There is a charging mechanism on the floorboard of the landing, which replenishes the drone when the remaining power level is low. This also makes it possible to extend the flight time.

When the shelter is open, it measures 4125mm wide x 1650mm deep x 1180mm high and has a rated voltage of 100 volts AC. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting enables night operations, and the drone body is compatible with ACSL "PF2". Eventually, the company plans to expand to other aircraft such as the company's "Souten".

Taro Yoshii, Executive Officer of SENSYN ROBOTICS, sees the factory inspection drone port as "a sharing business that can be used jointly by police and fire departments" in an emergency. Information such as bridge inspections by local governments, factory inspections at petrochemical complexes, and solar panel inspections by electric power companies can be accumulated as big data (massive data) and utilized in new businesses such as failure prediction.

On the other hand, drone ports can be used for espionage and military purposes, such as hijacking drones and extracting data, so ensuring security is essential. "That's why it makes sense to be domestically produced." Toshiyuki Washiya, President of ACSL, emphasizes this. All semiconductor parts are also made in Japan, and even if foreign-made parts do not enter Japan due to the corona crisis or logistics confusion, there will be no impact.

In the future, it is expected that drone ports will be developed overseas and movements will surround drones and drone manufacturers. At the moment, what is required of Japan, which is leading the way, is the creation of partners. The more partners there are, the more effective and user-friendly the drone port will be. 2022 will be a year of that effort.

February 15, 2022

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