26km one way! Pharmaceuticals transported by drone in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima

PD4B-M in flight

PRODRONE Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, President and CEO: Shunsuke Totani, hereinafter referred to as PRODRONE) is a member of the Koshikijima Regional Drone Logistics Consortium (*), and on February 21, 2023, carried out pharmaceutical drone logistics across the ocean approximately 26 km from Satsumasendai City (mainland) to Kamikoshikijima. This experiment utilizes Kagoshima Prefecture's regional issue-solving drone demonstration experiment subsidy in fiscal 2020. *The Koshikishima Regional Drone Logistics Consortium is comprised of Notam LLC, Maniwa Unsouken Co., Ltd., and Prodrone Co., Ltd. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who find it inconvenient or difficult to purchase food, mainly elderly people, mainly in rural areas, and there are expectations for drones as a new means of transportation. Therefore, in this experiment, we conducted a demonstration experiment of direct transportation from the mainland using a drone capable of long-duration flight at Kamikoshiki Island, located in the East China Sea approximately 30 km west of the mainland of Kagoshima Prefecture. 1. Overview The experiment was conducted on a sunny day, with strong winds blowing at takeoff and landing points of 8 m/s at times. Two PD-4BMs with a take-off weight of 20kg were simultaneously used for a 26km one-way flight, assuming actual operation. We set a route with an altitude of 50m (for low speed) and a route with an altitude of 65m (for high speed), and we could see faster drones overtaking slower drones along the way. Although multicopter drones are considered to have a disadvantage in terms of range compared to winged aircraft and single copters, this experiment proved that even multicopters can fly over 25km. Additionally, they are more resistant to wind during takeoff and landing than winged aircraft, and are simpler and easier to maintain than single helicopters, making this an example of an example that will greatly contribute to reducing operating costs, which will be an issue in the future. The remaining battery power after the one-way flight was 30% for low-speed drones and 40% for high-speed drones, indicating that the aircraft had sufficient remaining power for performance. 　PRODRONE will continue to cooperate with all concerned parties towards actual operation.

Flight location Kagoshima prefecture overall map

Flight location details

2. Implementation structure Consortium name: Koshikishima Regional Drone Logistics Consortium Consortium members: Notam LLC (demonstration experiment coordination) Maniwa Unsouken Co., Ltd. (demonstration project secretariat, on-site safety equipment development) Pro Drone (aircraft provision, system development, and operational support) Cooperation: Kagoshima Prefecture, Commerce, Industry, Labor and Fisheries Department, New Industry Creation Office, Satsumasendai City 3. Aircraft Overview (PD4B-M)

The PD4B-M used in the demonstration is equipped with a float at the bottom of the fuselage.

[Basic specifications] Propeller diameter: 780 mm Weight: 12.3 kg (battery included) Flight time: 45 minutes (no payload) Battery: 22,000 mAh x 2 The aircraft used in this demonstration (PD4B-M) is lightweight but has a payload of 10 kg, and can fly for a long time. This demonstration is for maritime logistics, so a logistics box and float are installed at the bottom of the aircraft. ■About Prodrone Co., Ltd. With the vision of "becoming the most trusted drone company in the region," we aim to build a drone ecosystem in the Chubu region. We carry out one-stop in-house development and production of industrial drones, including the PD6B-Type3 multicopter, which has a maximum payload of 30kg and has begun mass production, and the PDH-GS120 helicopter, which can fly for two hours and has excellent weather resistance. ■Company profile of PRODRONE Co., Ltd. Company name: PRODRONE Co., Ltd. Representative: Shunsuke Toya, President and CEO Capital: 100 million yen Head office location: 1-115 Nakahira, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 468-0014