Announcement of “Flying light truck” SORA-MICHI ~On the road, sometimes in the sky~

Flight image CG of the “Flying Light Truck” SORA-MICHI

Prodrone Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, President and CEO: Shunsuke Totani) will exhibit at the Aichi Prefecture booth of "Japan Mobility Show 2023" to be held at Tokyo Big Sight (Koto Ward, Tokyo) on October 26, 2023, and announced the new aircraft "Flying Light Truck" SORA-MICHI (concept model). ``Flying light truck SORA-MICHI'' is a cargo drone that can fly 50km with a load of 50kg. During normal times, we contribute to local issues in mountainous areas and remote islands by delivering pharmaceuticals, and during disasters, we contribute to disaster mitigation by transporting relief supplies to isolated villages. Together with Aichi Prefecture, Prodrone is promoting the ``Aichi Mobility Innovation Project ``Aichi Model 2030 Connecting Sky and Road'' as the first project under the framework of the ``Innovative Business Creation Strategy,'' which aims to create public-private partnership projects that solve social issues and revitalize regions.■Development of Aichi Prefecture's "Aichi Mobility Innovation Project 'Aichi Model 2030 Connecting the Sky and Roads'" and "'Flying Light Truck' SORA-MICHI"The Aichi Mobility Innovation Project ``Aichi Model 2030 Connecting the Sky and Roads'' aims to integrate UTM in the air with vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-vehicle communications for self-driving vehicles on the ground for the first time in 2030, creating a seamless transportation environment in Aichi Prefecture. The first chapter is the public-private collaboration ``Flying Light Truck'' SORA-MICHI project. Pro Drone's concept model ``Flying Light Truck'' SORA-MICHI is a large drone with a payload of 50 kg and a cruising range of 50 km. However, there were also challenges. One of the environmental risks is that the larger the drone, the more energy it consumes.■The birth of SORA-MICHI, a drone “flying light truck” that can also run on roadsA light truck weighing 700 kg can be moved by two people pushing it. On the other hand, lifting a 100kg drone requires considerable force. SORA-MICHI is a drone born from an inverted idea. The idea is to "drive on the road too." Then, we will fly if it is faster and has less environmental impact overall, such as crossing rivers, climbing mountains, or crossing the ocean. This is the philosophy behind SORA-MICHI, the flying light truck. ■Reference

CG image of the “flying light truck” SORA-MICHI driving

■Overview of SORA-MICHI-Usually, it runs on the ground as an AGV unmanned delivery robot. - During flight, the main rotor and tail rotor rotate. ・After landing, the last mile will be covered as an AGV.■Energy comparison・If you fly the entire 50km with 50kg of luggage on board, the fuel consumption will be 10L to 15L.If you fly the entire 50km, the fuel consumption will be around 2L to 3L.■SORA-MICHI is a new thesis"Flying light truck" SORA-MICHI is a new concept drone that combines environmental impact and convenience at a high level. In order to become a new theme for drones, we will announce a new concept model from Pro Drone. ~ On the road, sometimes the “flying light truck” SORA-MICHI starts running into the sky ~■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 multicopter PD6B-Type3, which has started mass production with a maximum recommended payload of 20kg, and the helicopter type PDH-GS120, which can fly for two hours and has excellent weather resistance.■Prodrone Co., Ltd. Company ProfileCompany name: PRODRONE Co., Ltd. Representative: Shunsuke Toya, President and CEO Capital: 100 million yen Head office location: 1-115 Nakadaira, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 468-0014