Sendai, Japan launches world's first unmanned aerial vehicle tsunami warning system

Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan began to fully utilize small drones on October 17th, which automatically fly when tsunami warnings are issued, and use speakers to call on people in coastal areas to seek refuge. According to foreign media reports, this is the world's first unmanned aerial vehicle tsunami warning system.

On the 17th, Kyodo News reported that the authorities of Sendai City also showed the media how drones fly. On the same day, after the roof of the base located along the coast of Miyagi no ku in Sendai City was opened, a drone about 1 meter square took off, sounding an alarm and playing a voice message saying, "A tsunami may strike, order everyone to take shelter

According to reports, Sendai currently has two drones used to call for people to seek refuge. If the J-ALERT system issues a tsunami warning, tsunami alert, or tsunami warning, the drones will automatically take off and fly over the local coastline for about 15 minutes. In order to ensure uninterrupted communication during disasters, Sendai City has also built a high-speed communication network for operating drones.

According to the Russian news agency Sputnik on the 17th, Sendai's unmanned aerial vehicle tsunami warning system is the world's first unmanned aerial vehicle tsunami warning system.

According to Kyodo News, although amplifiers have also been installed locally in Sendai, there are concerns that the sound may not be sufficient for people to hear. Asaichiro Sasaki, the head of the Sendai City Crisis Management Department, said, "We hope to diversify the methods of informing people to evacuate, which will help to evacuate as soon as possible. Using fully automated broadcasting can prevent personnel and others from encountering danger

In the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, two Sendai City government officials sacrificed their lives while guiding people to seek refuge. Therefore, Sendai City hopes to establish the use of drones to urge people to seek refuge as a non human safety notification method.