Next month, the ban on advanced flight called "Level 4" will be lifted to fly unmanned aerial vehicles "drones", which are rapidly spreading, and can fly in places where people can not be seen.
While there are a series of movements aiming for new utilization in various places, experiments were conducted aiming at quick lifesaving with drones by making full use of AI.
The University of Tokyo and research institutes, which are developing advanced drone applications, are conducting new experiments this week in a space that mimics the urban area of a drone demonstration base in Fukushima Prefecture, assuming a building fire. I did.
Currently, it is assumed that each person will operate one aircraft after the firefighters arrive at the scene, but in this experiment, multiple drones decided their own route and headed to the scene in advance. I tried to figure out the situation before I arrived.
Three drones that had arrived above the building at the site sent images from an omnidirectional camera to the indoor base, which was modeled after a fire department, and researchers wearing VR goggles were checking the situation.
In addition, AI technology can detect whether there is smoke or how many people are calling for help by waving their hands. I was creating a dimensional map.
Akiya Kamimura, head of the research team at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, who participated, said, "With this technology, one person can operate many aircraft, share information with everyone, and find the location of the fire source and rescue after arrival. It will be possible to grasp the necessary people in advance.Since I hear that 5 to 10 minutes until the fire department arrives is important, I think it is a very useful technology."
[Acceleration of various uses such as logistics and agriculture]
Unmanned aerial vehicles "drones" were initially developed for military purposes, but recently they are being considered for various purposes such as logistics, security, and infrastructure inspection, and are expected to help solve issues such as the aging population and labor shortages. The movement to connect is also accelerating.
・For solving logistics problems
In Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture, medicines have been delivered to medical institutions on remote islands by drone since May this year, and from September, food and food items will be delivered to the island where about 100 people live, whose only shop will close by the end of the year. A service to deliver daily necessities has started.
In Koori Town, Fukushima Prefecture, companies are also conducting demonstration experiments with the aim of commercializing a delivery service that uses drones to fly over agricultural waterways.
・Reducing the burden in the field of aging population
There is also a movement to reduce the burden in the field where the bearers are aging, and in the production area of soba in Kyoto Prefecture, we are working on a demonstration experiment using drones to sow buckwheat seeds, and sowing time is done by hand. That means it's about 1/10th the time.
Also, in Kibichuo Town, Okayama Prefecture, this month, the town and local hunting clubs conducted training to determine the location of wild boars from the sky with drones equipped with infrared cameras and to see if they could be used for efficient extermination.
・For collecting information and calling for evacuation in the event of a disaster
The use of drones has also begun as a means of collecting information during disasters. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, about 60% of the 723 firefighting headquarters nationwide have introduced drones. I was.
In Sendai City, when a tsunami warning is issued from last month, a drone automatically takes off if it determines that it is possible by measuring wind speed and rainfall, and operates a new system to call for evacuation on the coast.
・Overseas utilization
On the other hand, overseas, drones are being used to transport blood for transfusions to regions in Africa where infrastructure development is lagging. We are planning to start by the end of the year.
[Advanced flight of "Level 4" will be possible next month]
Regarding drones, the revised Aviation Law will come into force on the 5th of next month, enabling more advanced flights called "Level 4".
Up to the current level 3, drone flights are limited to areas where the aircraft can be seen or where there are no people, such as along mountains or over rivers. You will be able to fly in a range that is not visible in the sky where you are.
The Japanese government expects Level 4 flights to be realized by the end of the fiscal year at the earliest, but it is expected that they will be used for logistics and security in urban areas.
On the other hand, since it will fly over people, a "aircraft certification system" and a "flying license system" have been newly established to ensure more strict safety. required as a condition.
Among these, in the "aircraft certification system", when the manufacturer develops the airframe, it is necessary to undergo an inspection to see if it is designed so that it will not fall or deviate from the expected flight range even if it breaks down. .
In addition, in the "pilot license system", it is necessary to pass a practical test and a written test, etc., and application for the test will start in stages according to the type of license from the 5th of next month.
At this time, if you have completed a course at a drone school registered in the country, you will be exempted from the practical test.
In addition, since there were a series of cases where the owner could not be identified in the event of an accident, a system that obliges the owner to register has started from June this year, and from the 5th of next month, there was an accident. Reporting to other countries will also become mandatory, and penalties will be imposed for violations.
Expert "Evaluate the risk correctly and gradually incorporate it into your life"
Professor Takeshi Tsuchiya of the University of Tokyo, who is familiar with drones, said, "When the ban on level 4 flights is lifted, drones will enter the city where we live. I believe that a society in which drones are flying will be realized in another 10 years."
He added, ``Drones have been around for about 20 years, and they are still a new technology that is constantly evolving, so there is always the risk of crashes and malfunctions. I think it's important to incorporate it into our lives," he said.