Revision of the Collection of Use Case Examples of Drones at Plants

1. Outline of the new establishment and revision of standards

In April 2021, METI established 1 new standard and revised 24 existing ones. Among these standards, it revised 13 standards based on proposals prepared by the Japanese Standards Association (JSA). This is an Accredited Standards Developing Organization that can propose the establishment, revision, etc. of JIS without deliberations by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC), pursuant to the revision of the related law in July 2019 (see Appendix 1). In particular, METI believes that the following 3 establishments and revisions of the JIS are especially important.

①Newly established JIS for safety requirements for unmanned aircraft systems

The use of unmanned aircraft has been rapidly spreading and diversifying in recent years, with purposes encompassing aerial photography, spraying pesticides, inspecting structures, and more. In addition, with use in urban areas for delivery services, etc. also expected, steps need to be taken to ensure their safety during use. For example, measures will be required to prevent accidents caused by falling objects.
To that end, METI has established a set of safety requirements that manufacturers and suppliers of unmanned aircraft systems must meet. These requirements have been compiled as JIS W0711. The requirements are expected to help ensure the safety of unmanned aircraft systems and further spread the use of them.

• Figure: An unmanned helicopter for spraying pesticides

②Revision of the JIS for object detection systems and visibility aids for earth-moving machinery

To prevent accidental contact with it on construction sites, earth-moving machinery is starting to be equipped with object detection systems that detect near-by workers and objects, and visual aids for obtaining visual information about the surroundings.
Following the development of electronic and information technology in earth-moving machinery in recent years, METI has revised JIS A8338, which covers performance requirements and tests for object detection systems and visual aids, for the purpose of updating the JIS to reflect the actual technological situation.
The revisions are expected to help spread and promote the equipping of earth-moving machinery with recently developed accidental contact prevention systems, and contribute to further safety on construction sites.

• Figure: Areas of safety glazing covered by the JIS

③Revision of the JIS for safety glazing materials for road vehicles and their test methods

The adoption of plastic glazing for safety glazing materials for road vehicles has been progressing in recent years. The reasons for this include a wide variety of designs that can be achieved with its moldability, and contribution to improving fuel efficiency by reducing weight. However, various requirements apply in the case of windscreens, including collision safety, light permeability, and wear resistance. For this reason, the JIS have not approved organic glass to be used for windscreens up to now. METI has now revised JIS R3211 and JIS R3212 to specify the quality and test methods for organic glass so that it can be used for windscreens as well.
This will enable manufacturers to objectively evaluate the quality of organic glass and reduce costs and will further its adoption for windscreens, thereby contributing to improved fuel efficiency of road vehicles.

• Figure: Areas of safety glazing covered by the JIS

2. Outline of the JIS

The JIS stipulate the types and quality of products, data, services, etc., test or assessment methods for ascertaining these types and quality, and standard values that businesses are required to meet. Producers, service providers, product users and consumers, and other stakeholders make use of these standards for purposes such as being able to access quality products and services with peace of mind.

METI has been establishing new standards or revising existing ones for the JIS in response to technological advancements, changes in the social environment and other factors.

For more information on the JIS, visit the following websites:

• The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee website (in Japanese)
• METI website for standardization and certification (in Japanese)

For details on the respective JIS, visit the following website.

• JIS search service (in Japanese)

3. Past news releases

For past news releases related to the establishment and revision of JIS,

• visit this website (in Japanese).

4. Contact for inquiries about the respective JIS

If you wish to inquire about the details regarding the respective JIS that have been publicized, please contact the METI divisions in charge shown in Appendix 1 by email. Please note that the division in charge for the JIS shown in Item 1 (1), (2) and (3) above is the International Standardization Division. When sending an email, please clearly indicate your name, the name of your company (if you send an email as a representative of a company or other entity), and your contact information.

Related document

• Appendix 1: New Establishment and Revision of the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) (April 2021)(PDF:109KB)

Division in Charge

• Standards and Conformity Assessment Public Relations Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau
• Contact for inquiries about the respective JIS
  International Standardization Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau