Why Sony makes a drone."Shooting" and "Level 4" that AirPeak aims at - IMPRESS WATCH

Developed in -house from the "Drone made for α" motor, confidence in flight performance

AirPeak S1 is a professional drone developed by Sony.

Drones also have multiple uses, and in Japan, the needs of "industries" such as civil engineering, land management, and luggage delivery are attracting attention.This genre was also exhibited at "Japand Loan 2021".

Sony developed a drone that first assumed that professionals use it for shooting.At the bottom of the main unit is a Sony single -lens camera "α" attached to the gimbal, aiming to shoot images at a dynamic angle.Therefore, Kawanishi says, "It can be said that it is a drone made for α first."

But of course, it doesn't stop.The industrial application is also assumed, and it is possible to install high -precision LIDAR and other measuring equipment instead of α.For this reason, cooperation with other companies is expected, and SDKs and the like are also planned.

……, and until this area, it is a general theory, and it is said, “Well, that's right.”This time, more detailed information was told.

The following figure is an AirPeak system configuration diagram.The processor used is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845.It's not the latest, but it's quite powerful.In addition, it is made of a combination of many Sony sensors.

Mr. Kawanishi (Hereafter abbreviation): AIRPEAK is made by other companies, but the body is made in -house, including hardware, system design, and software.Gimbal is made by other companies, but it was customized for AirPeak.

A lot of drones were already sold, and there were voices in the company saying, "Is it a commodity anymore?"However, even if a lot of small toys are sold, those that can be used as professional shooting equipment are occupied by a few companies.In other words, there is something there.

What you need is high aerodynamic performance and stability, and the ability to mass -produce a large amount of it.Then, I thought, "Should Sony should do it?"

So what is needed to realize "high aerodynamic performance and stability"?

Of course, "everything" is required.AI and robotics require AI and robotics for stable flight control, sensing and imaging for surrounding perceptions and shooting, and communication is required by Sony in other areas.

And the original motor and propeller were developed for AirPeak.

Kawanishi: It's easy to think that it is important to rotate the motor quickly to fly fast.However, high -speed rotation alone cannot achieve agile movements.It is important to go around even at low speeds.From there, increase the number of revolutions and move.A propeller that gains aerodynamic characteristics that floats even if you turn it slowly is also important.

The acceleration performance is from the hovering state to 80km/h 3.5 seconds.You can get dynamic images from agile operations.

By the way, the acceleration performance of the sports car is less than 3 seconds at 0-100km/h.It is said to be about 5 seconds by general car.You can think that AirPeak can somehow follow this and shoot.

High stability.The maximum wind resistance is 20m/s, which is a level that makes it difficult for people to walk toward the wind.

For these parts, tests using JAXA's wind tunnel experimental facilities are also conducted, and the situation has been published in the video.

"I don't think there is enough critical verification for disaster countermeasures, but I want to ensure that performance."