This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.
Following Japanese company Blue Innovation’s creation of the BEP Port Disaster Prevention System, aiming to help Japanese port towns and coastal areas improve their response to natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and heavy rain, it was announced that drones had successfully scrambled in response to a tornado warning in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture and Ichinomiya Town, Chiba Prefecture, demonstrating the potential of the technology to save lives.
How Does the BEP Port Disaster Prevention System Work?
When a disaster warning, such as a tsunami alert, is received through the country’s existing central emergency broadcast network (known as J-Alert), a drone automatically takes off from a special launch site called a drone port.
This drone flies over the coastline, broadcasting evacuation messages through loudspeakers and recording videos of the affected area. This system does not need human operators during emergencies, making the response faster and safer for everyone involved.
Successful Implementation
Natural disasters are common in Japan, and rural coastal towns often struggle with quickly communicating evacuation orders and checking on hard-to-reach areas, especially when there are not enough workers or when roads are blocked.
The BEP Port Disaster Prevention System solves these problems by:
- Sending automatic evacuation notices from the sky
- Capturing real-time video of disaster areas
- Reducing the need for town workers to enter dangerous areas
As the successful implementation of the test shows, rural areas like Ichinomiya Town (known for surfing) can benefit massively from drones, especially as roads can wash out and remote regions can become inaccessible. Drones can become an important tool to protect populations from the ravages of natural disasters.
More information, including the original press release (in Japanese) is available here.
About Blue Innovation
Company name: Blue innovation Co., Ltd.
URL: http://www.blue-i.co.jp/
Address: Ichigo Hongo Bldg 4F, 5-33-10 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 JAPAN
Representative: CEO Takayuki Kumada
Establishment: 10th June 1999
Business: Drone pilot support (education, dedicate drone map service), services for private sector (solutions development service), services for public sector (R&D, operation of JUIDA)
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Ian McNabb is a journalist focusing on drone technology and lifestyle content at Dronelife. He is based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys hiking and Boston area sports.
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