The Dawn of a New Era for Drones
The OIST Innovation Accelerator, now in its sixth year, has added two startups that see potential in the Japanese market of the future. One of these startups, Vyorius, was founded in India in 2021 and already has operations in India, Singapore, and beyond. What is Vyorius' vision for the new interaction between drones and society? Why did they choose OIST as their base of operations? This article introduces their vision for the future.
Awakening the capabilities of a drone
The roots of drone technology trace back approximately 80 years, amid the chaos of World War II. In the 21st century, technological evolution significantly transformed the role of drones, positioning them as innovative tools enhancing various aspects of our lives.
Today, drones are prevalent across sectors such as logistics, agriculture, construction, and disaster response. However, a notable aspect of current drone operations is their reliance on human control. About 70% of drone operations still require human intervention, raising scalability concerns in matching the number of operators with deployed drones.
Enter Vyorius, an Indian startup poised to reshape the drone narrative. It was founded in India in 2021 with the mission of developing a system platform that enables autonomous drone operations independent of humans. Vyorius is a word coined from the Sanskrit word "Vyom," and Latin word “Aeris”. The name reflects the hope to realize technology that exists like air.
Vyorius' standout feature is its hardware-agnostic system, streamlining the management of diverse drones, including underwater and land types, on a unified platform. This means that various types of drones on land, sea, and air can be managed seamlessly and centrally. Nishant Singh Rana, founder and CEO of Vyorius, said, "This breakthrough technology allows us to manage a variety of autonomous drones all at once, opening up greater freedom and possibilities for us humans and drones. This is an attempt to awaken the capabilities of drones," he said. Furthermore, the Vyorius approach not only simplifies the complex management of drones, but also ensures operational safety, makes maintenance predictable, and provides scalability that can scale with the size of the project.
Vyorius strategically selected the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) as its operational base to enhance its market presence and advance its technology in Japan and Asia. "Japan, with its numerous islands, presents a myriad of opportunities for drones," remarked Rana. "Additionally, as Japan's population continues to age, the potential for drones to contribute in various ways will only increase. Moreover, in a country prone to disasters like Japan, we anticipate a significant niche demand for drones, particularly in disaster investigation. I am confident that by unlocking the true potential of drones through our technology, we can make a substantial impact on improving our lives," he emphasized.
In future, Vyorius aims to broaden its business presence in the Japanese market, using Okinawa as its hub, as it seeks business partners and conducts testing experiments. Moreover, in research settings that involve the use of underwater drones at OIST, the company is contemplating assisting in the validation of these systems.
*What is OIST Innovation Accelerator: Okinawa's first global startup accelerator program, launched in 2018 with financial support from Okinawa Prefecture.
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