Hello, this is Matsubara.

This time, to commemorate the establishment of my company, Liberdade LLC ( https://www.liberdade.co.jp ), which handles cutting-edge IT solutions such as drones, I will talk about the collaboration between Arcus Japan and drones.

What do you think of when you hear the word "drone" (not a toy drone, but an "unmanned aerial vehicle" drone)?

I think drones are generally used for aerial photography, pesticide spraying, monitoring crop growth, bird and animal damage monitoring, equipment inspection, surveying, security, etc.
The reason drones can be used for these purposes is because they are equipped with features such as cameras, sensors, and remote control.

Does this remind you of something similar?

Yes, it has almost the same functions as a robot, a representative example of IoT!
The only major difference is whether it's land or air.

Drones are a new solution that promises effective use, but the market is still uncertain.
Naturally, when it comes to IT services, which are the core of the drone business, the market is still one where there are no major players globally.
The biggest point is that, unlike robots, there is still little involvement from IT companies, and the aviation industry and the government are taking the lead in developing the system.

As I mentioned earlier, drones can be called an IoT solution, and they will need to be managed as a system, especially if they are to be used with autopilot in the future.
All IT systems have a system monitoring mechanism called an operation management system, which allows them to be operated safely and securely, but drones also require a system monitoring-based mechanism called a drone operation management system (UTM).

In fact, the mechanism behind this operation management system is also a drone location system, one of the IoT solutions offered by Arcus Japan.
Naturally, the content is almost the same as a drone operation management system.
Because drones are unmanned, a nationally unified air traffic management system is also required (also known as an "integrated traffic management system").
However, for this mechanism, all that is required is an integrated database and API, so rather than a system, it would be sufficient for the country to create something like an "integrated air route management service."

All that remains is for companies that use drones to prepare an operation management system (which is distinguished from other systems and called an "individual operation management system") along with their specific requirements, enabling safe and secure flight operations.

Arcus Japan has expertise in drone location systems, so we have prepared a drone operation management system that reuses this know-how.We also own a company called Liberdage that specializes in drones, so we will be able to provide safe and secure drone operations in the future from both the systems and consulting perspectives.

The same is true for CRM (xRM). Until now, the main service has been to obtain data from sensors and cameras as marketing data and provide services to customers, but with more eyes in the sky, it will be possible to add functions such as those listed below.

• Improving the efficiency of equipment inspections in field service operations (manufacturing, construction, etc.)
• Management and analysis of survey data for agricultural land management
• Aerial surveillance in nursing care, etc.

By adding drones as one of the omnichannels at the heart of CRM, information that was previously only available from the ground can now be obtained from the air, making it possible to provide customer service based on more information.Drones are also one of the important channels that expand the possibilities of CRM.

The legal framework for drones has not yet caught up, so drone use has taken the lead, but this trend is exactly the same as that of the IT industry, which has developed based on de facto standards established by private companies and organizations. However, other industries, such as the aviation industry, have not experienced this approach, so I fear that while we wait for legal frameworks to be established, the industry will become lawless and the opinion that "drones are dangerous" will become widespread.

That's why I started Liberdage, with the aim of leading the IT industry in establishing the de facto standard for safe and secure drone operation, and creating a foundation that will allow everyone to use drones with peace of mind.
We believe this is not something that can be achieved by Liberdage or Arcus Japan alone, but rather something that should be achieved through collaboration with many people involved in drones, so if you agree with this, please contact Liberdage or Arcus Japan!

We also run a community called " Drone Business Research Institute " on Facebook , so you can join that as well.

Finally, Liberdage provides consulting services on using drones in business, and Arcus Japan also supports us as an agent, so please feel free to contact us.