Drone Delivery Over Agricultural Canals

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — An experiment has been conducted in Fukushima Prefecture that pairs drone delivery flights with air routes over agricultural canals.

The experiment led by Nippon Koei, a Tokyo-based construction and engineering company, and Fukuoka-based drone firm TrueBizon featured the delivery of a pizza prepared by the local business PizzaSta to the home of an elderly woman, 1.8 kilometers distant. The route taken by the drone was almost entirely over agricultural canals.

“The result was a complete success,” stated Nippon Koei spokesperson Akane Mikado. “I think that it is very important to understand its convenience and the safety of its operations.”

A key public concern about drones, of course, is that accidents could cause them to fall out of the sky, and therefore finding routes where people are unlikely to be found would reduce the risks for bodily harm.

It is also suggested that maintenance costs for agricultural canals might be raised if profitable delivery businesses can be created that make use of them. This would involve license fees for the use of the airspace over the canals.

Nippon Koei states that this experiment in Fukushima Prefecture will lead to a practical business launch next year.