U.S. to sell 34 advanced surveillance drones to allies in South China Sea region
The Trump administration has moved ahead with a surveillance drone sale to four U.S. allies in the South China Sea region as acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Washington will no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia. The drones would afford greater intelligence gathering ...
Japan passes bill to drastically curb drone flights over military and Tokyo Olympic sites
The government on Friday enacted legislation severely restricting the flying of drones over U.S. military and Self-Defense Forces facilities, as well as venues hosting 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic events as a preventive measure against terrorism. The move has sparked protests from opposition parties and ...
Drone flights reported again near Imperial Palace in Tokyo in wake of ascension
Riot police observed what they thought was a drone flying over the Kitanomaru Garden located just north of the palace at around 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Tokyo police investigating drone flights near imperial residences a day after emperor's accession
The unmanned aircraft were seen Thursday night near the Imperial Palace, the Akasaka Estate — the current home of Emperor Naruhito — and the Musashino Imperial Graveyard in Hachioji.
SoftBank and Google parent tie up on flying 5G stations for phone services using balloons and drones
Mobile phone carrier SoftBank Corp. and Google LLC parent Alphabet Inc. said Thursday they will jointly set up airborne mobile phone base stations, using balloons and aircraft in the stratosphere, to cover wider areas for next-generation 5G wireless services. SoftBank's year-old HAPSMobile and Alphabet's Loon, ...
NTT to launch trial of farming support service with drones and AI tech in Fukushima
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) said Thursday it will launch a trial for a farming support service using drones and artificial intelligence technology, with a goal of commercializing the service in Japan and other Asian countries. The new system, which connects drones with GPS ...
Japan's Lower House OKs ban on flying drones over military sites and Olympic venues
A bill to prohibit the flying of drones over Self-Defence Forces and U.S. military facilities in Japan, as well as venues for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, cleared the Lower House on Tuesday. The bill, aimed at guarding against terrorism, has sparked protests from ...
Russia deploys surveillance drone to Japan-claimed isles off Hokkaido, report says
The Russian Defense Ministry has deployed a surveillance drone to an artillery division stationed on a group of islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan, a Russian newspaper reported Monday. The drone will be used for patrolling coastal areas and surrounding waters, as well ...
Google's new external AI ethics council apparently already falling apart
Google recently appointed an external ethics council to deal with tricky issues in artificial intelligence. The group is meant to help the company appease critics while still pursuing lucrative cloud computing deals. In less than a week, the council is already falling apart, a development ...
For China drone-maker DJI, the real money in labor-starved Japan is in the industrial sector
Amid severe labor shortages, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to perform human tasks is sure to grow, and DJI, the world's biggest drone-maker, is ready to respond, the firm's Japan head said. Drones for industrial uses ranging from agriculture to infrastructure maintenance and security ...
Drones retain their buzz at Japanese trade show, with industrial uses expected to bolster growth
With the market for business-use unmanned aircraft looking promising in coming years, a large-scale drone expo that kicked off Wednesday showed more companies are eager to get involved with the industry. Companies ranging from the small to the powerful are showing off their business solutions ...
Under the bill, the government would also ban drones from flying over venues for this year’s Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
