I went to the 1st Drone Summit.
↑View of the entrance.
On September 2, 2022, I went to the first Drone Summit, where companies related to drones will exhibit.
The exhibition was broadly organized as the International Frontier Industry Messe 2022 (to be held from September 1 to 2, 2022), with the following broad categories: aerospace / robotics, AI, IoT / ICT, cloud computing / health, medicine / environment, energy / electricity, electronics / manufacturing / lifestyle / regional development, local industry / group exhibits / industry-academia collaboration, and support organizations.
Among them, there was a field called “Drone Summit,” where drone-related parts, software and manufacturers exhibited their products.
It was my first time to visit an exhibition in the Kansai region, and I was very excited to see what kind of manufacturers would be present at an exhibition other than Tokyo.
I will now introduce some manufacturers that have particularly caught my eye.
First of all, you will see this large K-RACER by KAWASAKI as soon as you enter the entrance. The words “Powered by Ninja” are engraved on the fuselage, which alone is exciting. With a maximum payload of 100 kg and a cruising range of 100 km, it is one of the largest drones and VTOLs in existence today, including the airframe. Expectations are high for this drone, as it can be used for many possible applications, such as transporting supplies in mountainous areas and conducting inspections.
And to the left of the aircraft I just introduced is YAMAHA’s booth. It has a very good design as well as performance. The current situation is that more and more companies are focusing on engines (or engine/battery hybrids) due to the problem of insufficient power and endurance with batteries. In recent years, various major manufacturers have been developing and selling drone-related products, and we are seeing the drone market expand rapidly.
This is a company called “EXEDY” that deals in domestically produced motors, propellers, and ESCs. At present, many drone manufacturers are using motors and propellers made in China, but there are concerns about obstacles and safety issues as certification activities in the future, and an increasing number of drone manufacturers want to use domestically produced motors and propellers. This company has developed everything around the motor together, and the ease of maintenance and balancing is considered very high. I think that cost will still be a very big barrier for the future, but I believe that it will be eliminated naturally as the drone industry matures. I would like to keep an eye on future trends.
This is a company called “Robodex. This aircraft is currently in the development stage and is still in the process of being finished. Why did we choose this machine? The reason is this red cylinder. This is a hydrogen tank, and the drone will fly on hydrogen fuel. Although many problems tend to be raised, such as the weight of the equipment and the danger of the tanks, hydrogen fuel is an essential part of the drone’s future. In recent years, we often hear the term “SDGs,” and this drone was chosen for its hydrogen fuel with the SDGs in mind. Furthermore, the durability of the hydrogen tanks has been fully verified, and the flight of the aircraft has been conducted with this in mind, which is surprising. While batteries, gasoline, or a hybrid of the two are the mainstream, hydrogen fuel will be the focus of attention in the coming era.
Finally, “Tetra Aviation” is a start-up manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan. When I saw the aircraft, I assumed it would be a foreign manufacturer, but upon closer inspection, I found that it was a domestic manufacturer. The aircraft is currently undergoing flight tests to obtain certification for flight testing in the U.S. on August 16, 2021 (U.S. time). There are still many things I do not know and many manufacturers I do not know due to my lack of study, so I will continue to attend more and more exhibitions and continue my market research.
That is all. Thank you very much.