Hi, guys! Philip English from RoboPhil.com and today we have an interview with the guys from Space Entertainment Laboratory, who are telling us about their Unmanned Flying Boat.

Philip English – Hi guys, it’s Phil English again RX 2019. So we’re here today, the gentleman is gonna talk us through his project, which is all around, I suppose, an aircraft, that takes off from water. So, please can you introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about your project?

Takanori Hashimoto – This is Takanori Hashimoto from Space Entertainment Laboratory in Japan. This aircraft we’re developing is– takes off from water and lands on water. In Japan, we don’t have much flat land to use common fixed-wing aircraft, so we’ve developed this for– because Japan is an island country.

Philip English – Right.

Takanori Hashimoto – So we have much water, sea and lakes.

Philip English – Yes.

Takanori Hashimoto – River. This can fly and take off, and land in, even in Japan.

Philip English – Right.

Takanori Hashimoto – Maybe more in Singapore or Philippines.

Philip English – Okay, okay. So anywhere where there’s sort of, you know, a lot of water in the country. Instead of having land on the ground there’s an application to land on the sea, so it makes it a lot easier. Then, I noticed that you, you were telling me about the whole concept is around the plane’s ability to maybe find fish and find certain boats and stuff. So, like, talk me through that.

Takanori Hashimoto – This can fly, like, 200 kilometers per battery change.

Philip English – Yes.

Takanori Hashimoto – Once battery changed. This can sense the more, the wide area.

Philip English – Okay.

Takanori Hashimoto – It can fly wider area. It can use this as– Using this it can find some missing ships or missing people in the sea.

Philip English – Yes.

Takanori Hashimoto – Or the– inspect the infrastructure, long infrastructure, like the sea shore.

Philip English – I see, I understand. So normally, you would have like a helicopter or a plane that needs to perform the same task. So the idea is that this is a lot more cost effective and it pretty much does the same job. It’s a cheaper alternative to having a plane. And you said that the battery lasts for two hours?

Takanori Hashimoto – Two hours. Yes. It would be good. It would be much better cost than the helicopter, since it has human operator. And helicopter itself will be much more expensive than this.

Philip English – So yes, so you’ve got a human operator, the cost of the fuel, the cost of the helicopter. Okay. So is this– So how far away are you from a commercial product? Are you trying to get funding for more– for manufacturing or production?

Takanori Hashimoto – No. We’re funded from the Fukushima Prefecture already.

Philip English – Okay.

Takanori Hashimoto – For this particular plane. Money is not quite problem.

Philip English – Okay. So what’s the next step say, now, if I wanted to come and buy this, if I owned a fishing company and I wanted to buy your product is it ready to be used now or is it still need more relevant element?

Takanori Hashimoto – Yes, still, company is on the way. We’re gonna have to integrate the sensors, like cameras and ultraviolet or something sensors.

Philip English – Right, okay.

Takanori Hashimoto – And much– and the radio wavelength– It’s Japanese law and– we cannot– the radio wave cannot reach so much farther.

Philip English – Right.

Takanori Hashimoto – So the problem is that now.

Philip English – Right, I see. I suppose if you have more high-tech sensors you can use it a lot more efficiently.

Takanori Hashimoto – Yes.

Philip English – Is this your only product? Have you got other things in development as well or?

Takanori Hashimoto – Now we have only this one, this aircraft for sale.

Philip English – Okay.

Takanori Hashimoto – Sometimes we do perform the air balloon, which reaches to the space.

Philip English – Wow, okay. I can see it from the pictures.

Takanori Hashimoto – It’s more like commercials and more entertainment thing.

Philip English – Right, I see, I see. Okay. Now, that’s good. Well, I think that’s a good overview really, you giving us like an insight. What I’ll do is, I’ll put some information about how to find you. So I thank you very much for your time.

Takanori Hashimoto – Thank you.

Philip English – Thank you. Cool.

Space Entertainment Laboratory: http://www.selab.jp

Unmanned Flying Boat YouTube: https://youtu.be/tSVlncED-xs

Philip English: https://philipenglish.com

Sponsor – Robot Center: https://www.robotcenter.co.uk