Mitsui Fudosan and KDDI Smart Drone Demonstrate Facility Inspections in Office Buildings Using Narrow-Space Drones

Key Points of the Release

- Demonstrated facility inspections using the narrow-space drone 'IBIS2' at the 'Iidabashi Grand Bloom' office building managed by Mitsui Fudosan. - Confirmed that drone inspections in confined, dark, or high locations enhance safety, improve work efficiency, and provide clear imagery, reducing the need for direct worker entry. - Aiming to advance practical implementation in office buildings while expanding target equipment and facilities to further elevate facility management standards.

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and KDDI Smart Drone Inc. have conducted a demonstration of facility inspections using the narrow-space drone 'IBIS2' at the 'Iidabashi Grand Bloom' office building managed by Mitsui Fudosan.

Facility inspection tasks in office building management face challenges, including the high burden on workers and safety assurance when performing tasks at heights requiring stepladders or temporary scaffolding, such as above ceilings, or in confined and dark spaces, such as inside ducts and underground water tanks. Against this backdrop, this demonstration was conducted to verify whether utilizing drones specialized for narrow spaces to confirm equipment status in confined, dark, and high locations contributes to reduced work time, improved safety, and maintenance or improvement of inspection quality.

Notably, Mitsui Fudosan and KDDI Smart Drone previously conducted a demonstration in 2025 by installing a drone with an automatic charging port on the rooftop of a high-rise building managed by Mitsui Fudosan, assuming information gathering during disasters. This latest demonstration expands the utilization of drones in urban buildings from information gathering during disasters to routine building maintenance and upkeep.

Outline of the Demonstration Location: Iidabashi Grand Bloom (Fujimi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) Drone Used: Narrow-space drone IBIS2 (manufactured by Liberaware) Verification Details: Verified the feasibility of drone flight/shooting and the effects on work efficiency and safety in confined, dark, and high locations such as underground water tanks, air conditioning ducts, ceiling interiors, and high-voltage electrical rooms.

Demonstration Results The flight and shooting with IBIS2 in the target confined, dark, and high-altitude inspection tasks confirmed the following results:

1. Visualization of Equipment Status in Hard-to-Inspect Areas Flights and shooting with IBIS2 were carried out in hard-to-inspect areas where direct worker entry or visual confirmation is difficult, such as duct systems and underground water tanks, capturing the presence of water leaks, equipment dirt, or damage via video. This demonstrated the potential for safely and efficiently visualizing internal equipment status even in environments where normal visual confirmation is difficult, such as dark places or dust-filled environments.

2. Improvement of Worker Safety by Replacing/Supplementing Hazardous Tasks It was confirmed that equipment status could be verified through shooting with IBIS2 in locations that previously required worker entry into high, narrow, or closed spaces. This demonstrated the potential to reduce the risk of falls associated with work using stepladders or temporary scaffolding, and physical burden associated with entering spaces like underground water tanks, contributing to ensuring worker safety.

3. Efficiency Improvement of Inspection Tasks by Reducing Ancillary Work It was confirmed that ancillary tasks generated outside of the actual inspection, such as installing temporary scaffolding or stepladders, or draining water for tank inspection preparation, could be partially reduced. Utilizing remote shooting with drones streamlines access preparation to inspection points, contributing to shortened work steps and improved efficiency in inspection operations.

Future Developments Based on the knowledge gained from this demonstration, Mitsui Fudosan and KDDI Smart Drone will consider the feasibility of implementing drone-enabled facility inspection tasks in office buildings. Moving forward, the companies intend to expand target equipment, refine inspection methods, and promote the utilization of acquired data, aiming for further safety improvements and efficiency in facility management operations. Furthermore, by expanding the scope of drone application in urban buildings from routine maintenance to post-disaster damage assessment, they will contribute to the digital transformation (DX) of urban infrastructure maintenance and improved disaster resilience.