Several leading Japanese technology firms, including BIRD INITIATIVE, Inc. ANA HOLDINGS INC., AIN HOLDINGS INC. and NEC Corporation, have partnered with the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry to conduct a drone operations pilot project in Wakkanai City, Hokkaido prefecture. Tests conducted examined the ability of drones to deliver pharmaceutical supplies to remote areas in accordance with the “Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Supply Delivery using Drones,” and to operate at passenger airports using the decentralized UAS Traffic Management (hereinafter “UTM”)7. UTM enables multiple drone operators to operate drones safely and efficiently within the same airspace. All of the tests were held in accordance with existing Japanese regulations and guidelines for drone use.
These successful pilots were conducted as part of the “Drones and Robots for Ecologically Sustainable Societies project” (hereinafter referred to as the “DRESS Project”), a project entrusted to Persol Process & Technology Co., Ltd. by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter “NEDO”). With BIRD INITIATIVE acting as the representative, Digital Hokkaido Research Association (hereinafter “Hokkaido Drone Association”), FRS Corporation (hereinafter “FRS”), HELICAM Corporation (hereinafter “Helicam”), the National Institute of Informatics of the Research Organization of Information and Systems (hereinafter “NII”), and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. together conducted the experiment from September 7 to October 30, 2021.
