Indoor Inspections, Concrete Repair Spray, and More: Japan Drone and International Advanced Air Mobility EXPO
This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.
Japan Drone/International Advanced Air Mobility EXPO 2023
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
The “Japan Drone/International Advanced Air Mobility EXPO 2023”, sponsored by JUIDA at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba City, ended on June 26th after three days of exciting new developments in the Japanese UAV space. Setting record highs for both attendance and exhibitors, (239, including 39 international businesses), the expo featured a series of talks featuring industry leaders and officials discussing the future of drone tech and the state of UAVs in Japan, Asia, and worldwide.
As part of the event, several major prizes were awarded at the “Japan Drone & AAM Awards 2023″ ceremony, including Liberaware’s new IBIS2 drone, which took home the Grand Prize in the hardware category. The IBIS2 is designed for the inspection of small, indoor spaces, with a tiny 20cm airframe and light weight, tipping the scales at only 243 grams. Compared to its predecessor, it’s more stable in confined areas and can produce clearer inspection images.
In the Audience Award section, the Grand Prize went to Toyo Seikan Co. and their Sabot-3 device, which allows a small spray can to be mounted to a drone for tasks like light concrete repair and other industrial applications. The Special Jury award went to GMO Internet Group, who ran a booth describing threats to drone communications and other issues of IOT security. The Software award went to a team made out of the Advanced Spatial Information Technology Evaluation Support Center, a team from Chiba University, and Gotemba City, who developed a “virtual watchtower” technology designed to allow for quick mapping and processing of active disaster sites using inexpensive UAV technology. The team hopes that their new technology can be used for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan.
In addition, JUIDA sponsored a competition between regional authorities to create drone videos as tourism PR, awarding the best of them prizes.
Next year’s exhibition will be held at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center from June 5-7, 2024.