[First in Kyushu] Asahi Construction and Fuwa Drone Succeed in "Fully Automated, Autonomous Flight" Demonstration Experiment for 3D Drone Surveying and Point Cloud Generation at Construction Sites!
Asahi Construction and Fuwa Drone successfully conducted a demonstration experiment for "fully automated, autonomous flight" for 3D drone surveying and point cloud generation at a construction site.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 00:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 16:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 21, 2026 at 07:23 (15h 21m after Collected)
Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture, President and CEO: Shigeto Kurogi) and Fuwa Drone Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, President and CEO: Kota Nukumizu) successfully conducted a demonstration experiment of "fully automated, autonomous flight by next-generation drones" over two days on Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15, 2026, aimed at further unstaffing and automating construction sites.
"This is the first demonstration experiment in Kyushu to complete a fully automated flow of 'scheduled flight to automatic takeoff and landing to 3D surveying and point cloud generation' utilizing a DJI drone port at a civil engineering site in Kyushu. (In-house research as of May 2026)"
■ Background and Purpose of the Demonstration Experiment
In the construction industry, chronic labor shortages and an aging workforce are urgent issues, requiring productivity improvements utilizing drones and ICT construction equipment.
In December 2025, Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. succeeded in "remote manual drone operation" utilizing satellite communication (Starlink) and confirmed its effectiveness, such as reducing travel time. As the next phase of innovation, we collaborated with Fuwa Drone Co., Ltd. to conduct a demonstration of fully automated, autonomous flight utilizing a "drone port." Through this, we aim to establish a completely unmanned system for daily site management.
■ Overview of the Demonstration Experiment
Implementation Dates: Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15, 2026
Location: Nagata Section Road Improvement Construction Site (Ordered by Hyuga Civil Engineering Office, Miyazaki Prefecture)
Operational Structure: Remote integrated management of the site overseen by the company from Asahi Construction Headquarters (Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture). Fuwa Drone handled technical support and data analysis.
Equipment Used: All-weather drone station "Dock 3"
All-weather drone
Flight program setting
Automatic takeoff at the set time
Automatic cruising and autonomous flight
Drone in automatic flight
■ Three Main Successful Demonstrations and Verifications
In this demonstration experiment, we verified that the system operates normally in the following items and that one-button site management from headquarters is feasible.
1. Establishment of automatic operation (safety patrol) at set times
The on-site drone automatically took off at a preset time. It successfully navigated a pre-programmed route automatically, transmitted safety confirmation video of the site to headquarters, and automatically returned.
2. Complete automation of 3D aerial surveying (daily as-built confirmation)
Aerial surveying and measurement were performed through automatic takeoff and cruising, and the acquired data was seamlessly shared via the cloud to the DX room at Asahi Construction Headquarters. We established a flow to automatically generate the 3D point cloud model necessary for daily progress management and earthwork volume calculation in just 45 minutes.
3. Seamless switching to "remote manual operation" in case of an anomaly
Assuming an anomaly occurred during automatic flight, we implemented an immediate intervention and switch from automatic navigation to "remote manual operation" by headquarters staff (qualified personnel). We confirmed the effectiveness of the fail-safe function to check specific locations on the site in detail and safely return to the port manually.
Confirmation of automatic cruising from the Headquarters DX Room
Automatically generated 3D point cloud data
■ Future Prospects and Notice of "Site Tour"
With the establishment of this system, "fully remote and automated construction management," managing drones at multiple sites collectively from headquarters, will become a reality. It is expected to be applied not only to the daily management of civil engineering construction sites, but also to dam management and road maintenance in mountainous areas, coastal erosion inspections, and extensive and rapid damage assessment in the event of earthquakes and disasters.
[About the Site Tour]
Following the success of this demonstration experiment, we will hold a site tour (open to the public) in June 2026 so that the general public and industry professionals can experience next-generation site DX.
[Contact for Inquiries regarding this matter]
Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. AX Promotion Division
200-1 Mukae-cho 1-chome, Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture 883-0051
TEL: 0982-52-1234 FAX: 0982-52-2100
E-mail: asahi01@construction.co.jp
URL: https://www.construction.co.jp/
"This is the first demonstration experiment in Kyushu to complete a fully automated flow of 'scheduled flight to automatic takeoff and landing to 3D surveying and point cloud generation' utilizing a DJI drone port at a civil engineering site in Kyushu. (In-house research as of May 2026)"
■ Background and Purpose of the Demonstration Experiment
In the construction industry, chronic labor shortages and an aging workforce are urgent issues, requiring productivity improvements utilizing drones and ICT construction equipment.
In December 2025, Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. succeeded in "remote manual drone operation" utilizing satellite communication (Starlink) and confirmed its effectiveness, such as reducing travel time. As the next phase of innovation, we collaborated with Fuwa Drone Co., Ltd. to conduct a demonstration of fully automated, autonomous flight utilizing a "drone port." Through this, we aim to establish a completely unmanned system for daily site management.
■ Overview of the Demonstration Experiment
Implementation Dates: Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15, 2026
Location: Nagata Section Road Improvement Construction Site (Ordered by Hyuga Civil Engineering Office, Miyazaki Prefecture)
Operational Structure: Remote integrated management of the site overseen by the company from Asahi Construction Headquarters (Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture). Fuwa Drone handled technical support and data analysis.
Equipment Used: All-weather drone station "Dock 3"
All-weather drone
Flight program setting
Automatic takeoff at the set time
Automatic cruising and autonomous flight
Drone in automatic flight
■ Three Main Successful Demonstrations and Verifications
In this demonstration experiment, we verified that the system operates normally in the following items and that one-button site management from headquarters is feasible.
1. Establishment of automatic operation (safety patrol) at set times
The on-site drone automatically took off at a preset time. It successfully navigated a pre-programmed route automatically, transmitted safety confirmation video of the site to headquarters, and automatically returned.
2. Complete automation of 3D aerial surveying (daily as-built confirmation)
Aerial surveying and measurement were performed through automatic takeoff and cruising, and the acquired data was seamlessly shared via the cloud to the DX room at Asahi Construction Headquarters. We established a flow to automatically generate the 3D point cloud model necessary for daily progress management and earthwork volume calculation in just 45 minutes.
3. Seamless switching to "remote manual operation" in case of an anomaly
Assuming an anomaly occurred during automatic flight, we implemented an immediate intervention and switch from automatic navigation to "remote manual operation" by headquarters staff (qualified personnel). We confirmed the effectiveness of the fail-safe function to check specific locations on the site in detail and safely return to the port manually.
Confirmation of automatic cruising from the Headquarters DX Room
Automatically generated 3D point cloud data
■ Future Prospects and Notice of "Site Tour"
With the establishment of this system, "fully remote and automated construction management," managing drones at multiple sites collectively from headquarters, will become a reality. It is expected to be applied not only to the daily management of civil engineering construction sites, but also to dam management and road maintenance in mountainous areas, coastal erosion inspections, and extensive and rapid damage assessment in the event of earthquakes and disasters.
[About the Site Tour]
Following the success of this demonstration experiment, we will hold a site tour (open to the public) in June 2026 so that the general public and industry professionals can experience next-generation site DX.
[Contact for Inquiries regarding this matter]
Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. AX Promotion Division
200-1 Mukae-cho 1-chome, Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture 883-0051
TEL: 0982-52-1234 FAX: 0982-52-2100
E-mail: asahi01@construction.co.jp
URL: https://www.construction.co.jp/
FAQ
Which companies conducted the demonstration experiment?
Asahi Construction Co., Ltd. and Fuwa Drone Co., Ltd.
When was the demonstration experiment conducted?
It was conducted over two days on May 14 and 15, 2026.
What kind of technology was tested in the demonstration experiment?
It was the fully automated, autonomous flight of "scheduled flight to automatic takeoff and landing to 3D surveying and point cloud generation" utilizing a drone port.
How long did it take to generate the 3D point cloud model?
It was automatically generated in just 45 minutes.
When will the site tour be held?
It is scheduled to be held and open to the public in June 2026.