DOCOMO to Pursue Collaboration with Skydio, U.S. Manufacturer of Autonomous Drones Capable of Flying without GPS Guidance

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NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has agreed to pursue collaboration on the development of drone solutions and the sale of drones in Japan and Southeast Asia with Skydio, Inc., a US-based drone manufacturer with particular expertise in the field of AI-based autonomous flying and collision avoidance. Their collaboration is aimed at accelerating the development of the industrial drone market in the region.

DOCOMO provides the docomo sky* platform, which provides one-stop drone support from flight preparation to AI-based data analysis, and aims to further promote this in Japan and Southeast Asia. The docomo sky platform comprises solutions and services that facilitate the inspection of infrastructure such as plants, base stations, solar panels and bridges, as well as the verification of conditions in areas affected by natural disasters. These include live-streaming capabilities that enable remote operators to view real-time video footage from multiple remote locations.

With its unique technology, Skydio's drones can recognize the surrounding environment via its multiple specialized cameras incorporating AI-based autonomous flying and collision avoidance capabilities. These are particularly useful during the inspection of external structures such as bridges, where complex maneuvering is required, and allow the monitoring of indoor facilities and locations where GPS is not available. The Skydio drones' superior autonomy technology and tracking capabilities also allow them to provide more enhanced levels of security.

Skydio's drones are scheduled to be showcased at DOCOMO Open House 2020 in Tokyo on January 23-24, 2020.

*"docomo sky" is a trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC.