BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 8. ITOCHU Corporation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PASCO Corporation and YellowScan Japan Co., Ltd. to promote the practical use of fixed-wing drones in aerial surveying, Trend reports via the ITOCHU Corporation.
The partnership aims to install YellowScan Japan’s Voyager UAV laser scanner on the Wingcopter 198 (W198), a fixed-wing eVTOL drone developed by Germany-based Wingcopter GmbH. The drone, in which ITOCHU holds a capital and business stake, can take off, land, and hover vertically like a multi-copter while flying longer distances and covering wider areas.
Surveying is critical for disaster management, including hazard mapping, ground deformation monitoring, damage assessment, and post-disaster recovery planning. Japan’s mountainous terrain, which covers around 70% of the country, has historically posed challenges for conventional human or aircraft surveys.
The collaboration is expected to enable long-range, wide-area aerial surveys previously achievable only with helicopters or crewed aircraft, while automating operations and reducing labor requirements. The partners said the initiative could contribute to the sustainable growth of the surveying industry and help minimize disaster risks.
PASCO brings expertise in safe, high-quality aerial surveying operations, while YellowScan Japan supplies the world-class laser scanning technology.