Sony is making drones now, partnering with an autopilot technology startup to create a drone company called Aerosense. This might seem like a strange zag into an unfamiliar business for Sony, but it dovetails with the companyās mission to become a sensor powerhouse.
Aerosenseās drones will use Sonyās image sensors, the same ones used in Apple and Samsung smartphones. Sony scuttled its PC business by cutting VAIO loose, and isnāt as focused on making smartphones anymore. What it is focused on is its in-demand sensors, so this move makes a lot of sense.
The Wall Street Journal talked to Sony smartphone head Hiroki Totoki about how the drone business overlaps with Sonyās sensors:
āWeāre looking to explore new opportunities beyond our core consumer portfolio in enterprise markets,ā said Hiroki Totoki, head of Sonyās smartphone unit, which is providing resources for the drone venture. āThe key to driving growth in these areas will be adapting Sonyās innovation in various technologies,ā including cameras and sensors, he said.
Aerosense will first offer drone services to businesses, to help with aerial land surveys and infrastructure surveys. The company wonāt actually sell its drones, so if youāre dreaming of a sleek Sony-branded personal quadcopter, that day has not arrived.
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Image via Sony
