On February 10, Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory, Ltd. — a venture business of Chiba University involved in R&D on flying robots — announced that it had started mass production of the “Mini Surveyor,” to be used for radiation measurements and pesticide spraying. Demonstration flights were conducted on February 20.
The robots were developed as part of the company’s project to create jobs in Minami-Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, in support of areas damaged by the nuclear accident. The company plans to manufacture 100 units in all.
The Mini Surveyor can lift objects heavier than its body weight. Mounted with a gamma camera and with use of a feeding cable, a larger airframe can now be used for radiation measurements.
