Keio Research Institute at SFC

URL	http://drone.sfc.keio.ac.jp
Contact	E-mail:drone-consortium@sfc.keio.ac.jp

Objectives

The deregulation of the commercial use of drones in the U.S. in 2015 has spurred the use and application of drones around the world. In Japan, the implementation of the amended Civil Aeronautics Act in December 2015, which was premised on the use of drones, has inspired expectations towards the acceleration of legislative system development and industrial use. Drones are expected to be “the industrial revolution of the skies” and its market size is expected to be around 10 trillion JPY globally, and 100 billion JPY in Japan. Although industry-academia consortiums centered around drone technology continue to be created domestically, research and education regarding how a “drone society” will be created on the premise that Japan is a society with a declining population, and how the business application/system design/social implementation of drones will be promoted is still insufficient. It also cannot be said that an international research and education center for drones based in Japan has been formed.

This consortium aims to promote the research and education listed below with an aim to create a drone society through collaboration between industries, government and academia. By doing so, this consortium wishes to make SFC an international center of excellence for drone studies in Japan.

1. Resolution of social issues using drones (medical care, health, environment, disaster prevention & mitigation, public works, construction, agriculture, etc.)
2. Drone business (collaboration between industries, government and academia)
3. Drone-related system designs (deregulation, insurance systems, security)
4. Development of drone application technology
5. Drone education (establishment of lectures and practicums in postgraduate and undergraduate programs)

The SFC is not only designated as a national strategic special zone, a special zone for robots, and a life innovation special zone, but is also located away from densely inhabited districts (DID) where the flight of drones is restricted, which makes the SFC a suitable location to develop drone-related research and education. Its research object space exists in both cyber space and the physical space of land, sea and air.

This consortium specifically plans to carry out the activities listed below:

1. Education
   (a) Drone-related curriculum development targeting the Faculty of Policy Management, the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, as well as the Graduate School of Media and Governance.
   (b) Holding drone study groups both within and outside the university (around 4 to 6 times a year)
   (c) International cooperation with overseas universities regarding drone education
2. Research
   (a) Applied research towards the fields of medical care and health
   (b) Applied research towards the fields of environment and public works
   (c) Applied research towards urban and rural areas
   (d) Applied research towards the fields of homeland security, as well as disaster prevention and mitigation
   (e) Media applications
   (f) Drone business research
   (g) Creation of new social services
3. Using education & research results to contribute back to society, and suggestions to society
   (a) Holding symposiums
   (b) Holding drone festivals and drone races
   (c) Collaboration with national and local governments

Outline of Research Activity Plans

(From December 2015 to December 2016)
The activities listed below will be developed during the first year:

1. Education
   – Drone-related curriculum development at SFC
2. Research
   – Applied research towards the fields of medical care, health, homeland security, as well as disaster prevention and mitigation
   – Media applications
   – Drone business research
   – Drones and fabs
   – Basic research related to the creation of new social services
3. Contributing back to society
   – Holding drone festivals and drone races
   – Holding symposiums
   – Collaboration with national and local governments

Researchers, managers and professors