Blue Innovation Evolves from 'Tsunami Response' to 'Wide-Area Disaster Response Drone Infrastructure'

Blue Innovation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takayuki Kumada; hereinafter 'Blue Innovation') has been selected for a public-offering joint research project by the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute (hereinafter 'TIRI'). With support and technical cooperation from TIRI, the company is advancing the functional expansion of the 'BEP Port | Disaster Prevention System,' a fully automated model for initial disaster response using drones.

This development evolves from operations initially focused on tsunami evacuation support toward a 'wide-area disaster response infrastructure' capable of handling multiple disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and forest fires. In the event of a disaster, the system automatically executes initial response actions such as 'evacuation announcements,' 'damage assessment,' 'road blockage and emergency transport route confirmation,' and 'search for individuals requiring rescue.' The goal is the social implementation of a 'next-generation disaster prevention infrastructure' that supports local government disaster response.

Please note that this content is under development, and specifications may change due to future verification and adjustments.

Initial disaster response starting within 1 minute of receiving a J-ALERT

■ Background: 'Limits of Initial Response' Faced by Disaster Prevention Sites

In recent years, as earthquakes, tsunamis, and heavy rain disasters have become larger and more widespread, local governments are required to respond simultaneously to multiple locations with limited personnel.

On the other hand, coastal confirmation during tsunami warnings and damage assessment are sometimes restricted from a safety perspective, creating a challenge in fully understanding the on-site situation or whether people have failed to evacuate. Therefore, a means to balance rapid initial response with the safety of personnel is required.

Furthermore, due to the declining birthrate, aging population, and labor shortages, an increasing number of local governments are having to respond to wide-area disasters with limited staff. Cases where traditional, manpower-dependent initial responses are insufficient are also becoming a challenge.

With the support of TIRI, Blue Innovation is advancing this development to realize a form of disaster prevention that 'protects the safety of residents while enabling disaster response without sending personnel into dangerous areas' through drone automation and remote operation.

■ Two Core Functions for Automating Initial Disaster Response

This development implements the following functions based on Blue Innovation's proprietary device integration platform, 'Blue Earth Platform® (BEP).'

1. Immediate Dispatch Linked to J-ALERT and Multi-Mission, Continuous Flight Function

Enables wide-area situation assessment from a safe location.

Upon receiving a J-ALERT, the drone automatically takes off within one minute. It then automatically and continuously executes multiple disaster response missions, such as 'evacuation announcements,' 'damage assessment,' and 'search for individuals requiring rescue.'

After each mission, the drone automatically returns to the drone port, recharges, and proceeds to the next mission, eliminating the need for manual resetting or redeployment and minimizing time loss during the initial disaster response.

2. Simultaneous Operation of Multiple Units and Wide-Area Coordination

Multiple drone ports are coordinated to cover a wide area by dividing the workload. For example, with a two-port configuration, it is expected that an approximately 10 km coastal area, which previously required manpower and time, can be fully checked in about 7 minutes.

This 'automates and parallelizes' initial responses that previously required manpower and time, significantly reducing the time needed for decision-making.

Conceptual diagram of this system

■ Introduction Video

A video provides an image of the 'initial response during a wide-area disaster' that this development aims to achieve. The video clearly introduces usage scenarios for this system, such as continuous flight and simultaneous operation of multiple units, assuming disaster response by local governments.

■ Expected Effects and Usage Scenarios

The introduction of this system minimizes the 'blank time' immediately after a disaster occurs and supports rapid, data-driven decision-making. It also reduces the need to dispatch personnel to dangerous areas, such as during tsunami warnings or landslide warning zones, contributing to safety during disaster response. Even for local governments with small staffs, it enables efficient simultaneous situation confirmation and evacuation announcements at multiple locations.

Tsunami/Flood Response: Automatic takeoff within one minute linked to J-ALERT enables simultaneous evacuation announcements and situation confirmation across all coastal and river areas without human intervention.

Wide-Area Search: Multiple units check conditions over a wide area from above, supporting the early detection of individuals requiring rescue.

Infrastructure Damage Assessment: Simultaneously assesses damage to roads, bridges, and rivers over a wide area, supporting faster recovery decisions.

■ Future Developments

This development is currently in its final adjustment phase, with completion scheduled for the end of June 2026.

Going forward, in addition to coastal municipalities, the company aims to accelerate demonstrations and deployment to inland and mountainous municipalities at risk of heavy rain and landslides. In the future, the company aims to build a drone infrastructure network capable of responding to wide-area disasters, with a view to deployment across multiple local governments.

■ Exhibition Introduction

This joint research initiative will be introduced as a next-generation disaster prevention infrastructure realizing 'automation of wide-area disaster response' at 'Japan Drone 2026,' to be held at Makuhari Messe from June 3, 2026.

■ Company Overview

Blue Innovation Co., Ltd. (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo | TSE: 5597)

Established June 1999. Based on its proprietary integrated platform 'Blue Earth Platform® (BEP),' the company develops and provides solutions in the fields of inspection, disaster prevention, education, and logistics using drones and robots.

The company is working to solve various social issues, including the maintenance of aging infrastructure, disaster response, and addressing labor shortages.

https://www.blue-i.co.jp/