Flying Boat Drone Takes Flight in Earthquake-hit Northern Japan

 

From Minamisoma: Flying Boat Drone Takes Flight for Reconstruction From Yahoo News

March 11, 2026 

Flying Boat-Type Unmanned Aerial Vehicle “Hamadori”

Hama Corporation (Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture; President: Masataka Kaneda) develops and manufactures various UAVs, including the seaplane-type unmanned aerial vehicle “Hamadori” (pictured), capable of fully automated water takeoffs and landings. Primarily expected for use in marine-related industries and disaster prevention/defense fields, the “Hamadori” was also deployed for marine surveys and photography during the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.

　

The company participated in the “Fukushima Innovation Coast Initiative Media Presentation” held on March 6 at Takanawa Gateway City (Minato Ward, Tokyo). President Masataka Kaneda presented the company's business activities at the event as one of the startups and expanding companies driving the initiative and advancing business development originating from Fukushima.

President Kaneda stated the following:

　“Our company is a startup selected for ‘J-Startup TOHOKU’ (a program by the Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry and Sendai City for companies expected to achieve dramatic growth in the Tohoku region). A key feature is our flagship product: a uniquely designed seaplane-type unmanned aerial vehicle capable of water takeoff and landing, developed entirely in-house.”

　He further explained, "While many people imagine drones as having multiple upward-facing propellers, our aircraft features fixed wings—large main wings similar to those on conventional airplanes. This design generates lift during forward motion, enabling efficient flight. Consequently, it can fly for extended periods and over long distances. Furthermore, it can take off and land using the water surface of oceans, rivers, or lakes as a runway. While fixed-wing aircraft can fly long distances, they require a certain speed to take off, necessitating long runways. Such locations are scarce in Japan. We focused on flat, open areas within the country – specifically, water surfaces. Our aircraft can automatically take off and land on water, even in rough open-ocean conditions with waves. This technology, enabling such operations, has no practical implementation examples worldwide."

　“Previous drones only observed water surfaces or ground from the air. We are developing unprecedented drone applications that enable underwater observation using acoustic sensors from the water surface and communication with underwater equipment,” he added.

　What is the meaning behind the company name “Hama”? “It comes from the ‘hamaya’ (luck-bringing arrow), an auspicious item granted at shrines during New Year's and other occasions. Amidst the growing demand for drones in disaster prevention and security fields, we want to create unmanned aircraft technology that protects lives from disasters striking Japan and the world. We drew on the symbolism of the hamaya, an auspicious item, for this aspiration.”

Following his presentation, Hamada Corporation President Kaneda spoke with Denpa Times:

"Our goal in developing the flying boat-type drone was to achieve automatic takeoff and landing even on rough open seas with swells. While flat water surfaces like lakes are easy for taxiing, swells create a truly bumpy runway—like an airplane taking off from a rugged surface—which presented significant technical challenges. We started testing on flat water surfaces and established takeoff and landing procedures. But the moment we took it to the swell-filled open ocean, it just didn't work at all. We damaged several units during development.“

”Ultimately, by thoroughly pursuing the optimal hardware design for achieving the control methods and realizing that control, we succeeded in enabling automatic takeoff and landing even on swell-filled open oceans," he stated.

　He further emphasized, “Since this is precision equipment used in an environment where seawater constantly splashes onto it, seawater—the enemy most hostile to electronics—was the biggest challenge. Achieving proper waterproofing in such an incompatible environment inevitably adds weight, which degrades performance for a flying drone. Therefore, we put considerable effort into balancing how to ensure minimal waterproofing without increasing weight.”

　

The shape itself resulted from extensive trial and error—a design that easily lifts off the water surface, aerodynamic features enabling quick takeoff, and the placement of the propulsion system.

Mr. Kaneda concluded by sharing his thoughts on Fukushima's recovery.

"What we felt when we visited Fukushima was the keyword ‘creative recovery,’ not just simple reconstruction. It's not just about restoring things to how they were, but creating an industrial hub that grows beyond that. We deeply resonated with the effort to transform the region into something better after suffering damage. We're conducting this project hoping to be one example contributing to that progress. Seeing our technology gradually start to help with disaster prevention and mitigation is truly rewarding for us as developers and engineers."