Tepco, Zenrin look to jointly develop safe routes for drones

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and map publisher Zenrin Co. said Wednesday they will collaborate to develop safe flight routes for drones. Under the "drone highway" initiative, Tepco will offer information on its power grid network, such as locations of transmission towers, power poles and electric cables, for mapping on Zenrin's three-dimensional map database to create flight-support infrastructure for guiding drones. "Drone ports" to charge drones will also be set up. The two companies aim to launch the drone flight aid service in fiscal 2019, after conducting tests. A Tepco official said other power companies, telecommunication carriers and railways will be asked to join the drone highway initiative.