Wingcopter’s authorized partner in Japan, ITOCHU Corporation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the practical use of Wingcopter’s long-range drones in aerial surveying together with PASCO Corporation and YellowScan Japan.
The companies initially plan to use the Wingcopter 198 in disaster management where drone-based surveying is playing an increasingly important role,
- to create hazard maps and monitor ground deformation as part of effective pre-disaster prevention,
- to gather information and assess damage in the event of a disaster, and
- to measure terrain changes and develop recovery plans during post-disaster restoration.
According to Wingcopter, carrying out these tasks is easier and less risky with fixed-wing drones such as the Wingcopter 198 than with traditional human or aircraft-based methods.
About 70 percent of Japan’s land consists of mountainous and hilly terrain, with steep slopes and short, fast-flowing rivers. Conventional multicopter droneswould not be suitable for such tasks as they are limited in range and coverage compared to the Wingcopter 198.
Under the MOU, YellowScan Japan’s advanced lidaer scanner Voyager will be used on the Wingcopter 198. By integrating this technology with PASCO’s extensive expertise in operational quality and safety in aerial surveying, it is possible to carry out long-distance and large-area surveys that were previously difficult to achieve without manned aircraft.
In a single 45-minute flight, the Wingcopter 198 can scan 1,000+ hectares, simultaneously capturing lidar and RGB data, allowing the system to generate an exceptionally high point density and precision. This makes it suitable even for demanding applications.
The collaboration also promotes automation and labor savings in surveying tasks, contributing to sustainable development in the surveying industry and reducing disaster risks.
