Japan Post and KDDI have started a demonstration test in Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture, using a post office as a drone take-off and landing base. IT media outlet ITmedia reported on Sept. 28 that the companies installed a droneport on the roof of Suzu post office. They will use drones to inspect school routes in normal times and to check damage and residents’ safety during disasters. The test runs through Oct. 4.

One unit of U.S.-based Skydio's droneport, 'Skydio Dock for X10', was installed on the roof of Suzu post office. The companies will deploy the autonomous drone 'Skydio X10' to check school route safety in normal times. They will also inspect delivery route conditions in a scenario where roads are cut off due to a disaster. They will verify whether it can also be used to help ensure the safety of delivery staff.

The project will also link with other droneports already installed in Suzu. The companies will remotely operate multiple AI drones to expand the monitoring and inspection range. They will check whether they can quickly grasp damage and residents’ safety in the event of a disaster.

Skydio X10 is an autonomous drone that detects obstacles in 360 degrees around it using onboard AI and six cameras. It can fly in places where GPS cannot be used or in dark areas.

The two companies signed a basic agreement in June to solve local issues by using drones. Based on the results of this test, they plan to consider permanently installing droneports at post offices nationwide and using them for logistics. They also plan to pursue full-scale cooperation from fiscal 2027 onward.