ICAO Asia Pacific UAS Task Force 1st meeting
R&D Program of Small UAS Traffic Management
in Japan
April, 2017
UAS Technology Group,
Technology Demonstration Research Unit,
Aeronautical Technology Directorate,
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Roadmap for the Application and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan (Outline)
At the 2nd public/private conference about future investment (Nov. 5, 2015), Prime Minister Abe stated that we
will aim to make delivery of goods by drone possible within three years at the earliest.
In order to achieve this, the Dec public/private conference began studies and the Roadmap for the Application
and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan was prepared (Apr 28, 2016)
＜Key Points of the Road Map＞
By around 2018: By the 2020’s
Application
UAV flights beyond visual range in UAV flights beyond visual range in inhabited
(Target)
uninhabited areas (Level 3) areas (Level 4)
Same safety functions as manned aircraft
Ensure safety if it crashes, etc.
Technology (does not crash), etc.
Develop-ment Technology to avoid collisions based on Collision avoidance technology based on
operational management, etc.
detection, etc.
Environmental Prepare operational management system corresponding to each level and review rules with
Improvement respect to operational management, etc.
International
Development
Active participation in international standardization of ISO, etc.
Road Map to be made each year for individual applications
Disaster Infrastructure maint. Surveying Agriculture, Forestry,
Logistics
response management (measurement) Fishing industries 1
Roadmap for the Application and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan
The Public-Private Sector Conference on Improving the Environment for UAVs, 28th Apr. 2016
In the conference, The Roadmap for the Application and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan was set. It defines 4 levels of UAS operations, with the aim of Level-3 Operation (BVLOS over less-
populated areas) by 2018.
* Level 1 (Visual Line of Sight, Remotely
Present*～ Piloted) has already been achieved. 2017～ Around 2018～ Future Image Post-2020s
Industrial Revolution in the Sky
Flight Operations Goals: Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
（Level of Full-scale operation） Visual Line of Sight Beyond Visual Line of Sight, Less-populated Areas Beyond Visual Line of Sight, Populated Areas
Delivery Delivery in special zones, private estates, etc. Delivery, mainly to isolated islands, mountain areas, etc. Delivery service in areas including urban districts
Industrial Fields (Examples)
Application
Disaster Response Information gathering (aerial photography, surveying, etc.) in disaster areas Search and rescue in disaster areas, cooperation of UAVs Operation of many UAVs in the aftermaths of disasters (flights
above people, harsh environments)
Infrastructure Maintenance
Practical uses for infrastructure across the country
Management
Expansion of applications one-by-one
Surveying Public surveys, engineering surveys, etc.
(Described in the roadmaps for each application)
Agriculture, Forestry and
Crop-dusting, etc.
Fisheries
Technology Development toward Level 3 Technology Development toward Level 4
Ensuring of safety characteristics (reliability, redundancy, etc.) similar
Ground Safety Ensuring self-diagnosis, fault tolerance, redundancy, safe emergency landing, etc.
Technology Development
to those of manned aircraft
Flight Performance Improvements in speed, accuracy, endurance, energy efficiency, payload, Further improvement of Flight Performance (autonomous, stability,
controllability, etc. non-GPS-based flight, etc.)
Performance of UAVs Weather Resistance Improvements in resistance to steady-state winds, temperatures, etc. Improvement of resistance to weather fluctuations
Security Improvements in resistance to hijacking, interception and jamming of communications Further improvement of security Further technological development
Establishment of early UTM consistent with foreign countries’
systems and development of UAVs controlled by the system
DAA Detect and avoid aircraft, objects, etc.
Collision
Collision avoidance through sharing of flight information between manned and
Avoidance
UAS Traffic Management unmanned aircraft (early UTM, signal reception), simulation system UTM Further development (flight control for UAVs)
Environmental Improvement toward Level 3 (Development of Environmental Improvement toward Level 4
authentication method) Verification of adequate safety to allow UAVs to fly beyond
Environmental
visual line of sight and over populated areas
Improvement
Improvement of flight information sharing
UAS Traffic Management System Operation of the system
system Improvement and Operation of UTM (Traffic management of UAVs
flying above less-populated areas)
Considering flight rules for UAVs under control of UTM Further improvement and operation of UTM
Traffic Rules
（Safe and efficient operation of flight control system）
Performance Measurement Development of UAV performance measures for Level 3 and authentication Development and authentication for Level 4
Members of the Conference
Private sector members
Public sector members Amazon.com, Inc. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Cabinet Secretariat IoT Acceleration Consortium National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Cabinet Office Japan Radio Control Safety Association National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
National Police Agency Japan Association of New Economy New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
Consumer Affairs Agency All Japan Security Service Association Electronic Navigation Research Institute
All Japan Air Transport and Service Association National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention
Ministry of Internal Affaire and Communications
Japan AD. contents production companies association Council on Competitiveness-Nippon
Fire and Disaster Management Agency Japan Business Federation DJI JAPAN Inc.
Ministry of Justice The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Japan UAV Association
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The General Insurance Association of Japan Association of Precise Survey and Applied Technology
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Japan Multi-copter Safety Association Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association Japan Model Aeronautics Federation
Japan UAS Industrial Development Association Japan Radio Control Model Industrial Association
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Aerosense Inc. Parrot SA
Japan Aircraft Pilot Association. East Japan Railway Company
* Full version of this roadmap is available on the following link. (Japanese Only) Association of Air Transport Engineering & Research Mini-surveyor Consortium
http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/kogatamujinki/pdf/shiryou6.pdf
UAS Flight Operations Levels
In the Roadmap for the Application and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan (28th Apr. 2016 The
Public-Private Sector Conference on Improving the Environment for UAVs), four levels of UAS flight
operations were defined as shown below.
Populated
Areas Level 4
(including urban areas) BVLOS Flight over populated areas
(including urban areas)
Level 1 Level 2
Less-Populated VLOS
Areas (Remotely VLOS Level 3
（remote islands, Piloted)
BVLOS Flight over less-populated areas
mountainous areas, etc.) (remote islands, mountainous areas, etc.)
Visual Line of Sight Beyond Visual Line of Sight
(VLOS) (BVLOS)
Roadmap for the Application and Technology Development of UAVs in Japan (28th Apr. 2016 The Public-Private Sector Conference on Improving the Environment for UAVs)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/kogatamujinki/pdf/shiryou6.pdf
UTM Development Project in Japan
UTM Development Project is going to start from FY2017 (FY2017’s budget: 3.3 billion yen).
The Fukushima Robot Test Field will be used as a base for the development and demonstration of UTM.
UTM: UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Traffic Management
Data Provider Integrated UTM System
• Flight Information
• 3D Map
• Weather
• Airspace
Monitoring
Information
UTM UTM UTM
Delivery Inspection of Disaster Response
Weather Observation Infrastructure
Radio Control
Airspace Monitoring Tower Disaster-
Simulated Affected
Bridge Factory
UAV Port Fukushima Robot Test Field
13 km
(Namie Town) (Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture)
Fukushima Robot Test Field
Construction on the “Fukushima Robot/UAS Test Field” (about 50ha) beginning in FY 2016. Scheduled to
open in FY 2018.
Testing the evaluation of UAV and the demonstration of UTM over 13 kilometers.
Robot/UAS Test Field
(Minamisoma City)
Protected
flight field Square water
Runway
with gauge tanks
Submurgible
mock city
Damaged
road
About 13km Heliport
R&D facilities
(environmental testing, measurement &
analysis, explosion testing,)
Disaster
area
Damaged Damaged (Rubble, Urban
bridge tunnel area, Plant)
（Concept）
Runway
(Namie Town)
5
UTM prototype development and Demonstration in Fukushima
Objective: Demonstration of basic concept of
UTM and prototype system
Airspace management (separation
assurance) by
- flight plan
- real-time flight data
Date: March 15-16, 2017
Place: Minami-soma, Fukushima pref.
(Fukushima Hama-dori Robot Testing Zone)
D7
Organizer: Japan Unmanned System Traffic &
Radio Management Consortium
(JUTM)
Associate: Fukushima pref., Minami-soma city
Auspice: Cabinet Office, MIC, METI, MLIT, AIST
D2
Participant: 11Drone Operators with 12 UAS D3
D1
(9 companies and 2 institutes)
9 companies and institutes for system
D9
HQ
prototype development and execution
support 6
UTM Demonstration in Fukushima – system configuration & function
GCS
GCS
GCS
GCS
GCS
GCS Comm.
Network
UAS UTM System
Pre flight phase Conflict detection
Flight plan applications
Flight plan approval
/rejected
In-flight phase real-time Conflict detection
Real-time flight data
Airspace information,
Warning etc. 7
UTM Demonstration in Fukushima – conflict detection & avoidance
Conflict detection
in shared airspace
Avoidance Maneuver
by simulated
dummy drone
8
