Flying boat type drone "Hamadori" that can take off and land on water and navigate like a ship

NEWS ｜Social / Product

2022.01.12 16:30

Space Entertainment Laboratory Fukushima Robot Test Field

On January 11, 2022 (Tuesday), Space Entertainment Laboratory, which develops and operates unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) that take off and land on water, announced that it has moved its head office registration from Tokyo to Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture.

The company is working on the flying boat type drone "HAMADORI". It is an unprecedented fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land on water and navigate like a ship. Fixed-wing drones have high flight performance by taking off and landing in water areas such as rivers, lakes, and oceans, which are safe with few third parties and artificial objects, but are difficult to operate in Japan, which has few open flatlands. can be resolved.

In addition, it is possible to wash the entire aircraft with water to prevent deterioration due to seawater and sea breezes, as it has environmental resistance assuming use in harsh ocean environments. In addition to being a robust structure, it is designed with an emphasis on portability and ease of use.

In addition to sensing the surface of the water and the ground from the air, it is possible to land on the water after advancing to a long distance, perform underwater sensing from the surface of the water, and conduct surveys such as water quality. It can also be operated in the open sea by using it in conjunction with the loading and recovery mechanism from ships.

There are two types of aircraft to deploy. The "HAMADORI 3000", which has almost been put into practical use and is currently being commercialized, has a 3,100mm wingspan and has a cruising time of about 2 hours. By supporting automatic object tracking and displaying and following the coordinates of the tracked object, efficient rescue, surveillance and observation missions can be carried out.

On the other hand, the "HAMADORI 6000", which has a wingspan of 5,000 to 6,000 mm, is compatible with various sensors and can provide various observation and monitoring data. Equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell, it has a cruising time of about eight hours and can fly to the exclusive economic zone. Development will begin in 2021, and demonstration experiments using prototypes will begin in 2022.

This relocation is said to be due to the fact that Minamisoma has the "Fukushima Robot Test Field", which has the largest airspace and facilities in Japan, and that development, testing, verification, and improvement can be done quickly, and it has taken root in the region. We are aiming for continuous development.

"AXIS" Editorial Department (Akushisu Henshubu)

The editorial team of the web magazine "AXIS". From information typical of design-specialized media to things that are likely to overflow in our daily work, we will convey with the abundant energy of our members.

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