The RMAX Helicopter UAV

Abstract : In Japan, chemical spraying by manned helicopter was started in 1958, nowadays it has spread throughout Japan. But residents who live near paddy rice field have began to complain of using 'manned helicopter', because the agricultural chemical drifts to their houses. Looking at the Japanese farming industry, because of the aging of the work force and lack of a younger generation of successors, it has been more and more difficult for farm workers to engage in heavy labor for pest control. In light of this situation, Yamaha Motor Co. LTD began developing industrial-use, unmanned helicopters in the 1980s. In 1990 we delivered the first unmanned helicopter for crop dusting. Among a total of 1,565 unmanned helicopters, 1,220 units of Yamaha unmanned helicopter have been sold and are in use as of October 2001, in Japan. There are two reasons why unmanned helicopters have become popular in Japan. First, the unmanned helicopter has such performance that farmers can control it easily and spray paddy fields effectively. Second, the unmanned helicopters are safely operated in Japan. The Japanese government has made numerous standards and an operator licensing system. In adding to this, Yamaha provides its own training system for operators and servicemen. Based on this unmanned helicopter, we have developed an autonomous flight control system. Because our autonomous, unmanned helicopter has succeeded in observation roles at erupting volcanoes, the Japanese government and other industries have began to be attracted to the operation of unmanned helicopters.