Marine Drone Development Team Explores Unmanned Operations for Safety Patrol Vessels

The Marine Drone Development Team, which consists of the Japan Multicopter Association (JMA), the Japan Disaster Relief Boat Research Institute, and Ichifuji Headquarters, has announced that they are beginning to explore the commercialization of their aquatic drone, the Marine Drone. This initiative aims to automate safety patrol operations, leveraging the remote control technology and extended operation performance confirmed through previous verification tests. The main objective is to enhance safety and reduce the manpower needed for monitoring and guarding water areas.

This announcement follows the report on the Marine Drone verification test results dated February 17, 2026.

Background

In various scenarios such as riverbank construction, marine projects, and special events, the deployment of safety patrol vessels is necessary to ensure safety. However, there are challenges involved, including the burden of manpower requirements, operations in hazardous environments, and constraints during inclement weather. These challenges have created demand for enhanced efficiency and safety in patrol operations, making the automation via Marine Drone a promising solution.

Areas of Examination (Planned)

The development team plans to explore the practicality and demand for unmanned operations in several use cases:
1. Assessing the demand for safety patrol vessels in riverbank and marine construction projects.
2. Investigating the need for safety vessels during rocket launches.
3. Exploring the potential for automation in search and surveillance activities during bad weather.
4. Evaluating applications of unmanned safety and surveillance operations across various water areas.

Technical Background

The Marine Drone has proven to enable stable remote control and continuous operation through previous developments and tests. Additionally, it is feasible to establish a remote management system that can simultaneously operate multiple units (about 30 vessels), which facilitates wide-area monitoring and dispersed deployment.

Future Developments

Going forward, the team will collaborate with relevant authorities and private companies to validate the operations and establish specific schemes for commercialization. The initiative aims not only to streamline safety patrol operations but also to expand into areas such as illegal fishing surveillance, near-shore monitoring, and continuous monitoring of aquatic environments. This will contribute to the social implementation of unmanned aquatic mobility solutions.

For more related press releases, please refer to the following links:

- JMA develops the Marine Drone equipped with patented "Water Surveillance System" Link
- JMA conducts trial for remote-controlled unmanned navigation for Japan's first special small ships Link
- JMA develops a new water rescue drone called "Marine Board" Link
- JMA, Disaster Relief Boat Research Institute, and Ichifuji Headquarters complete 300 hours of demonstration operation for the Marine Drone Link

About the Marine Drone Development Team

Company Names

- Japan Multicopter Association (JMA)
- Japan Disaster Relief Boat Research Institute
- Ichifuji Headquarters

Representative

Masakazu Kudo

Addresses

- JMA: 6-20-4 Shimoma, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Disaster Relief Boat Research Institute: 2-8-15 Houkancho, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Japan
- Ichifuji Headquarters: 543-4 Tomihara, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Japan