Despite the company finding trouble in selling some aspects of its hardware like its TVs, the Japanese company has announced it is to get into the drones business with a new partnership between it and a company called ZMP.
Calling the new company Aerosense, much of the work of Sony’s new drones will be used to engage in operations requiring image capture combined with cloud-based data processing.
According to a press release issued by Sony, ZMP will be providing much of the drone’s hardware, particularly its “driving and robotics technologies”, as well as its expertise in the industry.
Meanwhile, Sony’s input will see it contribute its camera, sensing, telecommunications network, and robotics technologies for surveying, observing, and inspecting vast areas of land.
Sony sees the opening of Aerosense as one aspect in implementing its sensors in the real world as it continues its push towards more internet of things (IoT) technology.
A concept image of the Aerosense drone. Image via Sony/ZMP
Due to begin operations next month, Sony says that it will begin to roll out its services to companies looking to use Aerosense technology sometime in the beginning of 2016.
Not much else is known of the venture, but Sony is sure to find itself facing an uphill battle with many of the other major tech companies, including Facebook, moving to develop drone technology at a rapid pace.
In the coming months and years, Facebook has ambitious plans to connect the entire world to the internet through high-altitude drones beaming a signal back to some of the most remote places on the planet.
Drone camera image via Shutterstock
