THE JAPAN NEWS


 

An Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry-backed organization and other entities have developed a drone equipped with communication encryption capabilities amid concerns of the risk that vehicles could be hijacked during operation or the data they hold could be stolen.

NTT Docomo, Inc. and Yamaha Motor Co. participated in the development with the ministry-backed New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

The drone prototype is about 65 centimeters wide and weighs about 1.7 kilograms. It is expected to be used by the Self-Defense Forces, the police and electric power companies that handle confidential information. They hope to begin mass production this fiscal year.

Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd., a Tokyo-based drone development startup, provided the airframe control system. NTT Docomo provided encryption technology for flight records and photo data, and Yamaha Motor provided technical support for manufacturing.

Chinese companies hold an overwhelming share of the aerial photography drone market, and there was an urgent need to domestically develop drones with a high level of safety.