Itabashi Drone Field Opens
in MFLP・LOGIFRONT Tokyo Itabashi as Tokyo’s First Site for Drone Demonstration Experiments Linked to a Logistics Facility
- Creating and supporting the development of new industry through providing a place and community within a functioning facility -
October 2, 2024
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd.
General Incorporated Association Japan UAS Industrial Development Association
Blue innovation Co., Ltd.
Key Points of this Press Release
- Itabashi Drone Field opens at MFLP・LOGIFRONT Tokyo Itabashi, Tokyo’s first facility for drone demonstration experimenting linked to a logistics facility.
- Providing a place for drone demonstration experiments utilizing a rare functioning facility and a place for training drone operators in Tokyo’s 23 wards.
- Establishment of membership-based drone community. Working to coordinate with diverse drone players beyond industry-government-academia demarcations and promoting open innovation in the drone industry and practical application in society.
Tokyo, Japan, October 2, 2024 - Mitsui Fudosan, a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, and Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate announced today that they opened Itabashi Drone Field, Tokyo’s first facility for drone demonstration experiments linked to a logistics facility, within MFLP・LOGIFRONT Tokyo Itabashi, an urban development-based logistics facility completed today, October 2.
Facility supervision and operation is being handled by Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUDIA) and Blue innovation Co., Ltd.
Itabashi Drone Field consists of a field for drone flights utilizing a large space despite being within Tokyo’s 23 wards, a place for experiments utilizing an actual functioning facility, an R&D zone for lease to drone operators, and community space for members to interact. The facility provides a place for distribution and delivery, inspection and security by drones, and for R&D and demonstration experiments for use in times of disaster, etc. and also provides a membership-based community for business co-creation.
Also, efforts will be made to build an alliance structure with start-ups, academia, public institutions, and various companies and groups and support the practical implementation of the technologies that are developed. Along with contributing to the industrial development of the drone industry as a whole, the facility aims to contribute to solutions to various social problems through drone technology, including labor shortages caused by the “2024 problem” in logistics and measures for recent natural disasters.
1. Overview of Itabashi Drone Field
Itabashi Drone Field is one of the rare places in Tokyo’s 23 wards for experimentation and research on drone technology. A variety of experiments and research are made possible by leveraging the facility’s characteristics - a spacious site next to a river and the largest logistics facility in Tokyo. The facility is complete with a net field for drone flights, a leased R&D zone that drone operators can enter in a space of the warehouse, and co-working space for drone operators to interact and co-create. It can be used as a space for research and experiments aligned with real social needs; for example, last mile delivery using drones, delivery of relief supplies during disasters, and infrastructure inspections, which includes experiments linking with automatic guided vehicles (AGV) and inspections and deliveries using drone ports established on the premises. In addition, KDDI Smart Drone Academy Tokyo Itabashi will open, so the facility will provide a place for the training of engineers and operators supporting the drone industry.
| Net field for drone flights (approx. 650 m2) | Utilization of actual functioning logistics facility |
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| Equipped with five nets, this facility allows drone flights without an application. It is a net field for drones that is 14 meters high compatible with training and testing for national certification. KDDI Smart Drone Academy Tokyo Itabashi and other drone school programs will be held. Other than drone operations, the facility can be used by local community members as a futsal court. | Use of an actual functioning logistics facility makes possible labor savings via drones, inspections of solar panels, outer walls, bridges, narrow areas, etc., with an expected increase in efficiency, and experiments on drone deliveries using a balcony. |
| Drone ports | Drone lounge (approx. 190 m2) |
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| A drone port is a place for drones to take off and land. Two ports have been established on the roof for solar panel inspection and to deliver relief provisions during disasters. Also, in the parking lot on the premises, drone ports that users bring with them can be set up and experiments conducted. | A place for drone operators to interact and co-create. The lounge is equipped with a meeting space with a large monitor and can be used for business talks, seminars, and networking events, etc. |
Example of demonstration experiment conducted at Itabashi Drone Field
| Development of high-performance drone ports | Safe flight in a non-GPS environment | Verification of drone vertical delivery |
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| Research and development are being conducted on drone ports that are versatile, scalable and contribute to full automaton of operations and make possible operation of long-hours, long-distance flights, something for which social needs are increasing for infrastructure inspections and delivery of relief provisions at disaster sites. *This project has been adopted for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s SME innovation promotion program |
Research is being conducted on drone self-positioning estimation methods and safe flight control methods in non-GPS and indoor environments. The aim is to utilize drones for infrastructure inspections, etc. and realize drones that co-exist with people and things. *Joint research with Mitsui Fudosan UTokyo Laboratory based an industry-academia co-creation agreement between the University of Tokyo and Mitsui Fudosan |
The use of drones for home delivery has been rising dramatically, and with future concerns about congestion in elevators in high-rise condominiums and high-rise buildings, the feasibility of utilizing drone delivery inside buildings is been verified. *Joint research with Mitsui Fudosan UTokyo Laboratory based an industry-academia co-creation agreement between the University of Tokyo and Mitsui Fudosan |
2. Through the coordination of diverse players in industry, government, and academia, promoting open innovation in the drone industry and implementation in society
Against a backdrop of a decline in the working population due to a low birthrate and aging population and accommodating the dramatic increase in the number of deliveries, drones are a means to automate operations and make them more efficient, and so their use is accelerating for infrastructure inspections, building management and measurement, and disaster response, etc.
Itabashi Drone Field is an experiment field with an outstanding location in close proximity to central city areas. Based on these characteristics, the facility is aiming to be a base for 1) drone experiments and research, 2) education and human resources development, and 3) coordination and collaboration in Tokyo’s 23 wards through a coordination structure with startups, academia, public institutions, and various companies and groups. In addition, the facility is equipped with a lounge and meeting room for promoting interactions between companies. A membership community will begin today, October 2, providing a place for co-creation and a community. Mitsui Fudosan will support the use of drones for solving various social issues, including labor shortages, the “2024 problem” in logistics, the increased burden of infrastructure maintenance and management, and the increased response burden during natural disasters, and support the implementation of new technologies developed at Itabashi Drone Field in society to contribute to the development of the drone industry as a whole.
Mitsui Fudosan is aiming for technologies whose effectiveness is verified at Itabashi Drone Field to be used in a variety of fields including to solve local issues, labor saving, increasing efficiency, automaton, and utilization during disasters.
・Itabashi Drone Field official site: https://mflp.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/itabashidf/ (in Japanese)
(The official site will be open within a few days. Refer here for the latest information on Itabashi Drone Field, notices, details on the membership community and membership applications.)
3. Introducing partnerships
Blue Innovation Co., Ltd.
The facility is located within the city within a functioning logistics facility and has readied an environment that allows operational verification and feasibility testing for social implementation to be conducted in an integrated manner. Blue Innovation, as a drone and robot system platformer, will utilize the facility to conduct operations and training for the social implementation of drones, conduct feasibility testing, train drone pilots using advanced functions, and promote new solutions through coordination between industry, academia, and government and between multiple sectors in order to contribute to development of the industry.
General Incorporated Association Japan UAS Industrial Development Association
Itabashi Drone Field is expected to become an important site supporting the future of drone technology as a key element in a logistics network connecting the city with regions. Level 4 and Level 3.5 will be eliminated, so utilization of drones in the city can be expected to expand. With this, it is thought that demonstration experiments based on industry needs and more efficient logistics will progress rapidly. JUIDA intends to contribute to the development of the drone industry as a whole through accumulating diverse data and training personnel with advanced skills.
KDDI SmartDrone Inc.
KDDI Smart Drone Academy Tokyo Itabashi, which will be established within Itabashi Drone Field, will be the first KDDI Smart Drone Academy in Tokyo. It will provide specialized courses utilizing simulated facilities for drone inspections at Itabashi Drone Field and also provide national certification courses (Level 1 and Level 2 drone operator). The rooftop will be equipped with drones with fully automated ports, and the latest drone technology will be exhibited and demonstrated. Through innovation via co-creation and coordination with various players, the company will contribute to the creation, fostering and social implementation of the drone industry.
Flight Dynamic Laboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Tokyo
If Itabashi Drone Field is utilized and drone research further progresses, drones flying everywhere in immediate proximity to people, such as indoor and outdoor logistics and infrastructure inspections, will become run-of-the-mill and we in society will experience great change. The Flight Dynamic Laboratory intends to utilize the field for invaluable testing and implementation experiments and to conduct a great deal of research.
About MFLP・LOGIFRONT Tokyo Itabashi
< Reference release >
Mitsui Fudosan and Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Announce the Completion of MFLP・LOGIFRONT Tokyo Itabashi, the City’s Largest Neighborhood Creation-Type Logistics Facility
-A base for logistics, the local community, and industry creation on highly sought after land and with the ultimate facility specs-
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/news/2024/1002_01/ (October 2, 2024)
About the SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of international goals for 2030 ratified by the UN Summit in 2015. They consist of 17 goals and 169 targets and require the collaborative initiatives of multiple actors.
* The initiatives outlined in this release are designed to help address the following five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
