Image credit – The Yomiuri Shimbun
As some of you guys might have heard, last year there was a bit of a drone scare in Japan in which a drone carrying radioactive material landed on the roof of the Prime Minister’s office. So much so that in Japan, they have launched drones to help catch other drones, and basically tightened the restrictions on the use of the devices.
However according to a report from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun, it seems that Japan are considering designating specific zones in which drones can be used. Before drone owners get too excited, note that these zones are aimed more towards the mountainous areas and islands of Japan.
These zones will be used for testing purposes, one of which is to see if drones will be effective in chasing away animals that are attacking the farm crops. Another would be to see if drones are effective in helping deliver emergency medical supplies in remote areas. For example several years ago, Okutama was blanketed by heavy snow, and the report claims that in such situations, cargo drones carrying supplies would have come in handy.
According to a metropolitan government senior official, “If new technologies utilizing drones are developed in Tokyo, it could lead to the development of new industries. We also plan to take into consideration the research needs of private businesses and use the special zones effectively.”