Oita Prefecture's experiment in using drones to deliver packages to remote islands

With the participation of local companies, the project aims to be put to practical use as a mechanism for dealing with the logistics and shopping needs of the aging population in remote island areas. A single-rotor drone provided by ciRobotics (Oita City) was used in the experiment. S.T.K. Technology (same) installed a luggage storage box equipped with a drone port on a solid island. Oita Prefecture has been conducting drone verification experiments in mountainous areas and other areas, but this is the first time the maritime route has been used. There are no shops or clinics on Mukujima, and the island is served by a regular service that makes one or two round trips a day, six days a week, but the annual cost of the service exceeds 10 million yen. (March 19, 2020, Tsukumi City, Oita Prefecture; Credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)