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 Piloted)
has already been achieved.
Present*～
2017～
Future Image Post-2020s
Around 2018～
Industrial Revolution in the Sky
Flight Operations Goals:
（Level of Full-scale operation）
Level 2
Visual Line of Sight
Application
Industrial Fields (Examples)
Delivery
Disaster Response
Level 3
Beyond Visual Line of Sight, Less-populated Areas
Delivery in special zones, private estates, etc.
Information gathering (aerial photography, surveying, etc.) in disaster areas
Infrastructure Maintenance
Management
Delivery, mainly to isolated islands, mountain areas, etc.
Delivery service in areas including urban districts
Search and rescue in disaster areas, cooperation of UAVs
Operation of many UAVs in the aftermaths of disasters (flights
above people, harsh environments)
Practical uses for infrastructure across the country
Expansion of applications one-by-one
Surveying
Public surveys, engineering surveys, etc.
Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries
Crop-dusting, etc.
(Described in the roadmaps for each application)
Technology Development toward Level 3
Technology Development toward Level 4
Technology Development
Flight Performance Improvements in speed, accuracy, endurance, energy efficiency, payload, controllability,
etc.
Ensuring of safety characteristics (reliability, redundancy, etc.) similar to
those of manned aircraft
Further improvement of Flight Performance (autonomous, stability, nonGPS-based flight, etc.)
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
Ground Safety Ensuring self-diagnosis, fault tolerance, redundancy, safe emergency landing, etc.
Performance of UAVs
Establishment of early UTM consistent with foreign
countries’ systems and development of UAVs controlled by
the system
Collision
Avoidance
UAS Traffic Management
Collision avoidance through sharing of flight information between manned and unmanned
aircraft (early UTM, signal reception), simulation system
Environmental Improvement toward Level 3
Environmental
Improvement
UAS Traffic Management System
Traffic Rules
Performance Measurement
Improvement of flight information sharing
system
(Development of
authentication method)
Operation of the system
Further technological development
DAA Detect and avoid aircraft, objects, etc.
UTM Further development (flight control for UAVs)
Environmental Improvement toward Level 4
Development of UAV performance measures for Level 3 and authentication
Public sector members
Cabinet Secretariat
Cabinet Office
National Police Agency
Consumer Affairs Agency
Ministry of Internal Affaire and Communications
Fire and Disaster Management Agency
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
* Full version of this roadmap is available on the following link. (Japanese Only)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/kogatamujinki/pdf/shiryou6.pdf
Verification of adequate safety to allow UAVs to fly beyond
visual line of sight and over populated areas
Improvement and Operation of UTM (Traffic management of UAVs flying
above less-populated areas)
Considering flight rules for UAVs under control of UTM
Members of the Conference
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Level 4
Beyond Visual Line of Sight, Populated Areas
Further improvement and operation of UTM
（Safe and efficient operation of flight control system）
Development and authentication for Level 4
Private sector members
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Amazon.com, Inc.
IoT Acceleration Consortium
Japan Radio Control Safety Association
Japan Association of New Economy
All Japan Security Service Association
All Japan Air Transport and Service Association
Japan AD. contents production companies association
Japan Business Federation
The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association
The General Insurance Association of Japan
Japan Multi-copter Safety Association
The Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association
Japan UAS Industrial Development Association
Aerosense Inc.
Japan Aircraft Pilot Association.
Association of Air Transport Engineering & Research
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
Electronic Navigation Research Institute
National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention
Council on Competitiveness-Nippon
DJI JAPAN Inc.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan
Japan UAV Association
Association of Precise Survey and Applied Technology
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Japan Model Aeronautics Federation
Japan Radio Control Model Industrial Association
Parrot SA
East Japan Railway Company
Mini-surveyor Consortium
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)
Less-Populated
Areas
（remote islands,
mountainous areas, etc.)
BVLOS Flight over populated areas
(including urban areas)
Level 1
Level 2
VLOS
(Remotely
Piloted)
VLOS
Visual Line of Sight
(VLOS)
Level 3
BVLOS Flight over less-populated areas
(remote islands, mountainous areas, etc.)
Beyond Visual Line of Sight
(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