Professor Akira Sato of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology, Professor Hiroaki Nakanishi of Kyoto University Graduate School, President Hirohisa Okawa of Ayes, Katsutoshi Nakamura, General Manager of Yamaha Motor, and other unmanned industrial helicopters (initiated by Yamaha) The achievement in the development of the control device of the machine) was recognized, and the award was given in the development category.

■ Outline of award
[Achievement name]
Development of control device for industrial unmanned helicopter

[Winner name]
Akira Sato Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology (leader)
Hiroaki Nakanishi Lecturer, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University　
Hirohisa Okawa President, Aiesu Co., Ltd.
Katsumi Nakamura General Manager, UMS Division, Robotics Division, Solution Business Division, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

[Achievement summary]
The industrial unmanned helicopter was developed for spraying pesticides, but its flight characteristics were unstable and it was difficult to maneuver, so its spread did not progress.In addition, it was necessary to develop a control system that flies autonomously in order to use it for disaster response applications such as volcano observation.
In this development, we have developed an attitude control device and a speed control device for spraying pesticides.We also developed an autonomous navigation type flight control device for disaster response applications.
With this development, the steering stability of the industrial unmanned helicopter has been improved, and even beginners can perform spraying work with peace of mind.At present, the sprayed area for rice cultivation exceeds 45%, and its use is expanding to wheat and soybeans, making it indispensable for Japanese agriculture.In addition, the autonomous navigation type flight control device has made it possible to safely fly a fixed route even outside the visible range.As a result, it can be used for disaster response applications such as volcano observation and dose rate monitoring after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
This result is the first in the world to realize the utilization of unmanned helicopters for industrial applications such as agriculture and disaster response, and contributes to agricultural promotion and disaster recovery.

reference:[Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology Official Blog] Received the Science and Technology Award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Professor Akira Sato, Department of Mechanical Engineering