Collaborative project with Fukushima Prefecture Tamura City on regional development using drones

In order to address various regional issues including regional revitalization and promote education and research on regional development using drones, a partnership agreement was signed between Fukushima Prefecture Tamura City and the Keio Research Institute at SFC in December 2016.

With the assistance of the Fukushima Innovation Coast Concept Pursuit Organization, the "2020 Season Research Activity Support Project (Fukushima Innovation Coast Concept Project that adapts the" reconstruction knowledge "of universities, etc.)" was added to the drone (= By anticipating the social attraction of (online technology), pushing sufficient literacy and training in the community, we will carry out innovation of the leader out.

Every year, the SFC research group holds a special drone course on drone possibilities, safety knowledge and maneuvering skills at the prefectural Funehiki High School in the city. In the 5th term (FY2020), the drone special lecture was held twice remotely, and a total of 54 people participated. Due to the influence of COVID-19, the educational program that was held every year could not be held sufficiently, but since the `` Drone Consortium Tamura'' established in March 2018 is autonomously promoting the utilization of drones, this Was supported remotely.

(in 2022) This year, we organized special courses of drone flight management at the local elementary and junior high schools. Through the courses and the influences among the young generations to get in touch with the high technology through the drones, it was developed into the courses to educate fire fighters at the Tamura fire station. As a result, preparations to accept the migrants of highly skills to Tamura city had moved forward.

In AY 2023, students learned about AI and autonomous drone navigation while studying topics such as programming and AI object detection to help them think about solutions to local issues. In AY 2024, there was particular focus on introducing surface and underwater drones in an unprecedented initiative.In AY 2025, expanding upon their success, Keio broadened its scope by collaborating with Iwaki City and providing students at Onahama Kaisei High School with opportunities for more practical learning, including workshops on the practical uses of programming as well as hands-on experience sessions in remotely operating underwater and surface drones. We also sent Keio University students to both high schools to conduct special lectures on generative AI. These lectures enabled participants to not only learn about the latest AI technologies but also incorporate their own ideas into AI as well as build and run AI models themselves. In doing so, the participants explored the inner workings of AI and its limitations in a hands-on manner.

Applicable regions

Fukushima Prefecture Tamura City

Implementation period

December 21, 2016 - present

Community and Regional Affairs category

Regional collaboration as research targets and implementation sites/research that aims to popularize region-specific issues
Social collaboration through advanced research
Education of students/human resource development for the next generation