[NIPPON EXPRESS Holdings Co., Ltd.] NX Group invests in Spiral, a company that develops indoor drone autonomous flight systems *NIPPON EXPRESS Holdings Co., Ltd.*
Press release: August 26, 2024
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NX Group invests in Spiral, which develops indoor drone autonomous flight systems
* NIPPON
EXPRESS Holdings Co., Ltd. (President: Satoshi Horikiri) is working with Spiral Co., Ltd., which provides a control system that enables indoor autonomous navigation of drones without SLAM (*1), as a project for the NX Global Innovation Investment Limited Partnership. (hereinafter referred to as Spiral) on August 23rd (Friday). * * ■ Overview of Spiral *
Spiral is a startup company that develops MarkFlex(R)︎Air (*2), a drone autonomous flight system specialized for indoor use. Typical drones use GPS, sensors, etc. to navigate while referring to a pre-created map of the facility, but drones equipped with Spiral’s technology input routes using special software and post them on walls. By recognizing the QR code, navigation is possible even in areas where radio waves cannot reach. Spiral has a mission of “becoming a savior for field engineers considering the introduction of indoor autonomous flying drones,” and is working to utilize this technology for regular inspections at tunnel construction sites and dam inspection corridors. Masu. We are currently targeting Europe, where the market for tunnel construction is large, and plan to establish a local subsidiary in Vienna, Austria by the end of 2024.
* ■Background and purpose of investment*
NX Group is working to improve corporate value and solve social issues in order to realize our long-term vision of becoming a logistics company with a presence in the global market.
With this investment, NX Group companies and Cargo-Partner, a Vienna, Austria-based company that became a subsidiary in January 2024, will collaborate to support Spiral’s overseas expansion, including the transportation and delivery of drone-related equipment and local storage. We will provide support and promote the use of drones at logistics sites. Additionally, through Spiral, we will increase our touchpoints with the European construction and construction equipment industries and work to develop new logistics solutions and identify needs.
NX Group will continue to solve social issues through business co-creation with domestic and international startup companies and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society where everyone can live a rich and fulfilling life.
* ■Overview of invested company*
Company name Spiral Co., Ltd.
Head office location: 2-49-2 Horikiri, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo
Year of establishment: 2016
Representative Tomohiro Ishikawa
Capital 100 million yen
Number of employees: 20 (as of June 2024)
Business content Development of autonomous drone flight system in non-GPS environment
Homepage https://spiral-robotics.com/
*1: Technology that simultaneously estimates where you are on a map (self-position estimation) and grasps the surrounding environment (environmental mapping)
*2: A system that enables autonomous drone flight by using markers even in environments where radio waves cannot reach, such as indoors. Spiral has obtained a patent for the control device and marking section.
* About NX Group: *
Since its founding in 1937, the NX Group has moved forward with the development of society by connecting people, businesses, and communities through the transportation of goods. As a global logistics company with approximately 73,000 employees in more than 50 countries and regions around the world, we provide high-quality logistics services by fully utilizing land, sea, and air transportation modes, warehouses, and IT.
NX Group’s corporate message “We Find the
“Way” expresses our strong will and confidence in finding the best way no matter the situation and accomplishing it without fail. We not only transport goods, but also provide sustainable and environmentally friendly supply chain solutions as a partner who works with our customers to create their future.
For more information about our company, please visit
https://www.nipponexpress-holdings.com/ja/.