The passenger drone market is a priority for Japan, which aspires to dominate it. NEC Corp demonstrated a people-carrying quadcopter earlier this week that remained in the air for over a minute, bringing the country closer to its goal. Abiko, a suburb of Tokyo, was used as a test facility for the flight.
As it rose briefly to a height of about 10 feet before descending to the ground, the battery-powered drone appeared to be flying solo. According to the media, this was the first time a major Japanese business had demonstrated such a drone. Manufacturing will commence in earnest for Cartivator (its partner) in 2026.
Kouji Okada, one of NEC’s project leaders, told the media that the country’s dense population meant that flying cars might significantly reduce traffic congestion. As a leader in air mobility, we’re providing location information and establishing communications infrastructure for flying vehicles,” he says.
Drone deliveries will begin by the end of 2023, according to a Japanese infrastructure plan. In the next decade, the government plans to allow people to travel by car. There is also a Drone Fund established by Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in self-driving aircraft companies.
Speaking of Japan, the country has traditionally been ahead of the curve when it comes to dealing with cryptocurrencies, even while governments around the world struggle to keep up with everything from Facebook’s Libra to Bitcoin. Since a few of years ago, Bitcoin has been recognised as a legal medium of exchange and has begun providing permits for exchanges. A SWIFT-like system to combat money laundering and oversee cryptocurrency transfers is now being developed by the nation’s government, according to media claims based on unnamed sources.
