The first “Level 3.5” flight approval and flight in Japan

Conducted the first “Level 3.5” flight in Japan, followed by expansion to other regions, greatly accelerating the commercialization of drone delivery

NEXT DELIVERY became the first company in Japan to receive approval from the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to fly at the newly established Level 3.5*1 drone flight level as of December 8, 2023, and conducted Japan’s first drone delivery using Level 3.5 flight on December 11, 2023, in Kamishihoro Town, Hokkaido.

Level 3.5 flight means that the previous control measures, such as the placement of assistants and signs, are eliminated through the use of digital technology (using onboard cameras to check for the presence of pedestrians, etc.), Further Level 3.5 adds requirements for the possession of an unmanned aircraft pilot license and insurance coverage facilitate flights that involve crossing roads, railroads, etc. This is a major move toward the commercialization of delivery by drone, as it will lead to reductions in operation costs and increased operational efficiency.

Level 3.5 Flight Overview

AirTruck*2, a dedicated logistics drone, was used for drone delivery, and its operation was remotely controlled (remote piloted) by a qualified operator from Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture.

At Kamishihoro Town’s Yamamura Development Center, where the briefing was held, NEXT DELIVERY Director (Chief Operations Officer) Takato Aoki explained Level 3.5 flights to the press while projecting on a large screen the flight operation control screen, images from the onboard camera during flight, and the remote operation control status in Kosuge Village.

Two flights were conducted under the oversight of the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The first flight took approximately 16 minutes from the Kamishihoro Share Office to the Hamburg&Steak tobachi for an outbound distance of 8.5 km, picked up the hamburger steak lunch boxes, and returned for a return distance of 8.5 km for approximately 16 minutes to complete delivery to the customer. On the return trip, the restaurant staff placed two hamburger lunchboxes in a box and attached them to the Air Truck.

Although there was a national highway crossing along the route, safety was confirmed via the onboard cameras and the delivery was made without pausing.

The second flight took about 9 minutes to deliver newspapers from the Kamishihoro Share Office to Mr. Suzuki’s private home, a distance of about 4.9 km one way, and then returned to the Share Office for a round trip flight. The Suzuki family, who were receiving the delivery, monitored the aircraft for safety using on-board cameras to ensure unmanned, unassisted delivery.

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Date: Monday, December 11, 2023
Location: Kamishihoro Town, Hokkaido
Delivery Details and Route

1. Food delivery between Kamishihoro Share Office and Hamburg&Steak tobachi restaurant

2. Delivery of newspapers to Kamishihoro Share Office and private homes

See below for details.

Aircraft Used： AirTruck*5
Implementation：NEXT DELIVERY Inc.
With cooperation from：

Aeronext Inc.

Seino Holdings Co., Ltd.

Kamishihoro Town, Hokkaido

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Flight Details

1. Food delivery between Kamishihoro Share Office and Hamburg&Steak tobachi restaurant

Date：December 11, 2023
Items Delivered：Food (hamburger lunch boxes), newspapers all under 5.0kg
Flight Altitude：20m〜149m
Flight Speed：up to 36km/h

Flight Operation Management：conducted remotely from Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture by licensed personnel.

Unique points of Level 3.5

⚫︎Unattended pick-up implementation: Unassisted landing at the pickup side.
⚫︎Restaurant staff (trained in advance) attach the cargo to the drone and prepare for take-off.
⚫︎No support staff or signage/markings
No pause when crossing a national highway*4, after checking for safety

2.Delivery of newspapers to Kamishihoro Share Office and private homes

Flight Dates*：From December 11, 2023
Flight Times：9:00am〜4:00pm
Items to be flown：Food, newspapers, and other items weighing 5.0 kg or less
Flight Altitudes：20m〜149m
Flight Speeds：up to 36km/h

*Flights may be cancelled, cargo volumes and items changed, or flight adjustments made due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Unique points of Level 3.5

⚫︎Unassisted landing implemented: The drone landed automatically, and the box containing the newspaper was detached, placed in front of a private residence, and took off, after which the residents picked up the box and checked its contents.
⚫︎No support staff or signage/markings

Reference

*1  Level 3.5

Following instructions from the Prime Minister at the first meeting of the Council for Digital Administrative and Financial Reform held on October 11, intensive studies were conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with the aim of commercializing drone-based goods delivery by the end of this year, and a policy such as establishing a new Level 3.5 flight by the end of this year was presented at the Startup and Investment Working Group of the Council for Promoting Regulatory Reform held on November 17, 2011. Level 3.5 flight means that the previous control measures, such as the placement of assistants and signs, are eliminated through the use of digital technology (using onboard cameras to check for the presence of pedestrians, etc.), Further Level 3.5 adds requirements for the possession of an unmanned aircraft pilot license and insurance coverage facilitate flights that involve crossing roads, railroads, etc. This is a major move toward the commercialization of delivery by drone, as it will lead to reductions in operation costs and increased operational efficiency.

*2 New Smart Logistics 

A public-private initiative to find solutions to the issues commonly faced by the logistics industry, such as labor shortages, environmental and energy issues, and DX areas, while utilizing digital and technology to ensure the future sustainability of logistics, which is an indispensable infrastructure for people’s daily lives. The project aims to realize the last mile joint delivery, the best mix of land and air transportation, freight and passenger consolidation, automated technology, etc., through co-creation based on an open public platform (O.P.P.) that transcends the boundaries between the industry and the outside world.

*3  SkyHub®︎

A new smart logistics platform jointly developed and deployed by Aeronext and Seino HD that connects existing land transportation and drone logistics, as well as connecting ground and air infrastructure to deliver goods anytime, anywhere. An open and standardized platform with built-in drone delivery, operating from Drone Depots®︎ and using cars and drones as delivery vehicles, and SkyHub®︎ TMS as the base for SkyHub®︎ Delivery (shopping service), SkyHub®︎ Eats (food delivery), SkyHub®︎ Medical (pharmaceutical delivery), as well as joint delivery of packages from different logistics companies in bulk, to develop and provide services tailored to local issues and needs. The introduction of SkyHub® not only has the logistics benefits of promoting unmanned and inventory-free operations and improving last mile delivery efficiency, but also introduces a new logistics infrastructure. Where the logistics industry facing the “2024 Logistics Problem,” SkyHub® will contribute to solving social issues in the region, such as transportation problems in specific depopulated areas, medical problems, disaster countermeasures, and measures for the vulnerable in logistics, SkyHub® will also contribute to address regional issues such as traffic problems in specific depopulated areas, medical problems, disaster countermeasures, and measures for the vulnerable in logistics, as well as raise the level of satisfaction of residents and communities by improving convenience and quality of life.

*4 Dedicated Logistics Drone AirTruck

AirTruck, the first mass-produced logistics drone developed in Japan by Aeronext, a next-generation drone technology startup, in collaboration with ACSL, achieves stable flight with Aeronext’s proprietary 4D GRAVITY®*2 airframe structure design technology. The AirTruck is a dedicated logistics drone that goes “faster, farther, and is more stable” with enhanced for logistics, specialized for forward motion, and aerodynamic characteristics required for long-distance flight. AirTruck has flown in demonstration tests in various regions of Japan and has a top-class flight record in Japan and internationally, it has flown in Mongolia at an altitude of 1,300m and an outside temperature of -15°C (November 2023).　Maximum payload 5 kg, maximum flight distance 20 km.

*5 Crossing National Highways

At Level 3.5, crossing over roads, railroads, and other moving vehicles is possible with possession of appropriate unmanned aircraft operator proficiency certification and third-party liability insurance.