Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has compiled a plan for implementing new technologies in remote island regions as part of its Smart Island Promotion project. Included in the plan are “weather-resistant drones” that can transport relatively heavy loads.
Demonstration surveys aimed at implementation will be conducted in several island regions, such as Awashimaura Village, Niigata Prefecture; Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture; Ama Town and Nishinoshima Town, Shimane Prefecture; and Shodoshima Town and Tonosho Town, Kagawa Prefecture.
“Drones are attracting attention as a next-generation air mobility that can solve the problem of material transportation, due to their maneuverability and ability to fly to a destination automatically,” MLIT said in a June 30 press release. “By selecting an aircraft that can transport relatively heavy loads and has passed flight tests in harsh environments such as heavy rain and strong winds, and having the administrator of the logistics and transportation management system check the drone’s operation status, it is possible to enable logistics in a timely manner.”
The initiative would include the use of a “logistics and movement management system” to integrate methods and operators. The aim is to create a new maritime logistics network using delivery drones.
The Smart Island Promotion project includes other new and emerging technology such as self-driving cars and intelligent ferry boarding technology.
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