CASE C35 · JP · 2020
MLIT Kurayoshi office: drone trial for levee inspection on the Tenjin River
In April 2020 MLIT's Kurayoshi office trialled drones in part of its levee inspection on the Tenjin River, continuing from the previous year. Drone flights are cancelled in rain or strong wind while foot inspection continues. No quantitative results were reported.
| Owner | MLIT Chugoku Regional Development Bureau, Kurayoshi River and National Highway Office |
| Provider | — |
| Location | Yurihama, Tottori, Japan |
| Aircraft | Drone (not named) |
| Sensors | camera (not specified) |
Before
Not described (conventionally walking visual inspection of the levee).
With drones
As part of the pre-flood-season levee inspection, drones were trialled again following the previous year.
Outcomes
| Metric | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| result | no quantitative results reported | Reported |
Caveats & limits
- Press notice of a trial only; no outcome data.
- Drone flights are cancelled in rain or strong wind, while the inspection on foot goes ahead in light rain — the drone cannot fully replace walking inspection.
Sources
- 天神川直轄管理区間の堤防点検（記者発表）MLIT Chugoku Regional Development Bureau Full text read
Sources checked: 2026-10-22