Sony Mobile Communications and ZMP Inc. have agreed to collaborate on the development and launch of enterprise solutions using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles for image captured combined with cloud-based data processing.
Sony’s camera, sensing, telecommunications network, and robotics technologies will be merged with ZMP’s expertise in automated driving, autopilot technology and robotics.
The new organisation which will be called Aerosense, will be incorporated next month with 200 million yen ($1.6 million). The company will focus on enterprise solutions using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles for image capture combined with cloud-based data processing.
The collaboration will combine Sony’s experience in imaging and telecom, while ZMP will share its robotics technologies and driverless auto technology. After loses form the VAIO PC business and the smartphone segment, focus on sensor technology is one of Sony’s best options for a quick profit. “If ZMP’s motto, Robot of Everything” is any indicator of the level of involvement these drones could have in our day to day lives, chances are we’ll be seeing a lot of them very soon. It’s unclear if Sony will have a schedule of enterprise-geared services that a company can pick and choose from, or if a company would work with Aerosense to equip a drone for a custom job. Amazon.com and Google are planning to use drones for package delivery. Drone 2.0 and its numerous MiniDrones have made the segment increasingly popular. Earlier this month, the company announced that mobiles lost more than $1.6 billion, but president Hiroki Totoki promised that the company would “never sell or exit” from the mobile business.
Sony Mobile is proactively engaging in new business creation initiatives, with a particular focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. This joint venture represents a part of this push into IoT, as Sony strives to provide its customers with additional value by developing and managing total package cloud solutions.
Source: Press Release