Japan's first installation of the "Skydio Dock for X10" drone port, equipped with automated takeoff, landing and charging functions, at Hiroshima Airport. Remote, automated nighttime inspection of aeronautical lighting systems was demonstrated.
Skydio Dock for X10 was installed at Hiroshima Airport, and a demonstration of remote, automated nighttime inspection of aeronautical lighting systems was conducted. The demonstration involved the 3 companies 広島国際空港株式会社, ALSOK広島株式会社 and KDDIスマートドローン株式会社. Approach lights on a bridge could also be inspected from above.
During the demonstration, the drone flew autonomously at night, using footage from its onboard camera to check whether runway lights, taxiway lights and approach lights were operating. The demonstration indicated the potential for inspecting a wide area of lighting systems collectively from above, with the expectation that personnel could be reassigned to higher-value tasks.
Runway lights, taxiway lights and approach lights are essential aeronautical lighting systems that require routine inspection. Currently, workers travel to the site to conduct visual inspections. This demonstration assumed inspections would be conducted at night.
The demonstration was conducted at Hiroshima Airport. It involved using Skydio Dock for X10 to remotely inspect whether aeronautical lighting systems within the airport were operating normally at night. The demonstration was conducted from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. the following day and from 4:15 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The equipment used was Skydio Dock for X10.