User Interview - Vol.1
Mr. Sanroku Aoki, CEO of Ascension Co., Ltd.
This series is an interview project that brings you the real voices of creators and business owners who use drone cameras.
For this commemorative first episode, we interviewed Mr. Sanroku Aoki, CEO of Ascension Co., Ltd., about the background to his decision to use drones for work, their benefits, and the equipment he uses.
■First, please give us a brief introduction about yourself.
My name is Aoki, and I am the CEO of Ascension Co., Ltd. Ascension Co., Ltd. is a company that provides drone-based solutions, and we have a creative division and an industrial division.
After I left my previous company and went independent, I gained experience as an external assistant for the Rave Project (※1) team, shooting commercials and other projects. I believe that experience is still useful to me today.
He then went independent and founded Ascension Co., Ltd.
Currently, he is working on creative work such as TV commercials, and also holds qualifications as a solar power generation maintenance engineer and a quasi-bridge inspection engineer, gaining a wealth of practical experience.
I believe I am someone who is at the forefront of practical work in both the commercial and other video fields, as well as in the industry.
*1: A drone aerial photography company founded by Hirokazu Ukegawa, a leading expert in drone aerial photography. It has a wide range of experience, including commercial and film shoots.
■Please tell us what made you start using drones.
Before going independent, I worked for a tourism planning and production company, where we produced videos to promote local governments and help promote tourism. I thought it would be interesting to use drones to uncover new tourism resources, so I did my first aerial photography shoot in 2012. I continued doing aerial photography until I left the company in 2016 and went independent.
At the time, drone footage was still rare, so there was a lot of information being exchanged on social media.
By the way, the drone I was using at first was a drone made by a manufacturer called XAG (※2). I flew it without knowing anything about it, and it crashed immediately. (laughs)
*2: A Chinese drone manufacturer. Currently, its main use is for pesticide spraying. The Japanese subsidiary is called "XAIRCRAFT JAPAN."
What kind of work do you use drones for?
It is used for a wide range of work, from video production for commercials and TV programs to bridge inspections, solar power plants, and exterior wall inspections. In particular, in the industrial field, bridge inspections are currently the main focus, and we have inspected over 100 bridges to date.
We provide support by flying drones to inspect places that are difficult for people to reach.
■How has the use of drones improved those operations?
The reason I started using drones was because I wanted to share scenery that people couldn't see before and new attractions, so I think "scenery seen through a drone" can be an effective essence in various video works. We live in an age where drone footage is commonplace. The greatest appeal of aerial photography is that it can add a new flavor to the footage.
The great thing about drones is that they are easier to use than actual helicopters, and they are also great for situations where you want to get closer and more dynamic shots.
As an aside, I think the arrival of brushless motor gimbals was the most revolutionary event in aerial photography.
The same is true in the industrial sector; I feel that it is extremely significant that drones can now be used to go to places that people cannot go or see.
It's great that machines can now go into dangerous places where people could get injured if they were to work there.
■What drone do you mainly use? Please tell us the reason and what you like about it.
For bridge inspections, we mainly use Skydio 2 (USA) (*3).
Above all, it's safe to use. It's hard to hit anything and can get into tight spaces. I feel like it can do things that previous drones couldn't do.
Also, since the gimbal faces upward, it is ideal for inspections.
When it comes to videography, I mainly use DJI products (China), and occasionally Autel (China).
I mainly use the DJI Inspire 2, but I think the Mavic 2 series is a complete drone. The piloting feel is also great.
We're also looking forward to the upcoming Mavic 3 and Sony's Airpeak S1 (※4).
...It all depends on what I want to do with the drone and what I want to see, so I use each drone in the right place.
*3: A drone developed by the American company Skydio that is capable of autonomous flight in non-GPS environments. It is not currently available for sale in Japan, but NTT Docomo offers it as a rental service.
*4: A Sony aerial photography drone announced in September this year. It has been a hot topic as it can be equipped with an α series camera.
■Are there any peripherals you use regularly? If so, what are your recommendations or favorites?
I love HAZARD4 bags. They are a camera bag manufacturer, so the fabric is sturdy and they have dividers inside, making them very easy to use and I love them. They are backpack-style, so it's convenient because you can keep both hands free.
This is a brand that is actually used by troops and photographers deployed to conflict zones, and I like how sturdy it is, able to withstand heavy-duty use.
HAZARD4 HP: https://hazard4.jp/
https://hazard4.jp/pillbox-optics-shell-pack/ (Shell Pack)
https://hazard4.jp/h4-evc-pbh/ (Sling Pack)
https://hazard4.jp/h4-bkp-grl-blk/ (Mall Photo Pack)
We also use ATOMOS monitors. I'm repeating what Hirokazu Ukegawa said, "You have to bring professional equipment to a professional location," so we prioritize quality and functionality that can be used in any location over price when introducing field monitors like these.
The most important things about a monitor are image quality and brightness, but with drones, another important factor is the number of output terminal types available.
This is because, although there are many monitors that come with HDMI, a monitor with an SDI terminal is essential for video production.
The higher-end ATOMOS monitors have SDI output, making them useful as professional monitors.
Personally, I would be happy if UAVOOM would carry these kinds of products in the future. (laughs)
ATOMOS HP: https://www.atomos-japan.com/
■What are your expectations for future drones and peripheral devices?
I'd love to see more high-quality aircraft like Sony's Airpeak S1 that can carry a variety of cameras as payloads. I'd be happy to see aerial photography equipment that can carry SLR cameras and operate more seamlessly. For example, it would be ideal if the time from preparation to flight could be shortened, the flight time could be longer, and the flight operating system and camera operating system could always work without any problems. It would be ideal if it was small enough for two people to operate.
In terms of industrial applications, Skydio 2 flies using Visual SLAM (※5), but I think it would be interesting if it could be replaced with laser or infrared SLAM. Visual SLAM cannot fly in the dark or in the rain, so if it were replaced with infrared or a smaller lidar, I think it would be unbeatable.
I think it would be interesting if more drones were developed that could fly independently without relying on GPS.
There are a lot of things to photograph - cameras themselves - so I think the drone's mission is to safely transport them to the (shooting) location.
*5...Technology that simultaneously estimates the vehicle's own position and posture and the three-dimensional situation around it from images captured by a camera.
Ascension Co., Ltd. Representative: Sanroku Aoki
He began aerial photography in 2012, gained experience as an assistant for commercial shoots and other projects on the Rave Project team led by Hirokazu Ukegawa, and founded Ascension Inc. in 2016. With two divisions, a creative division and an industrial division, he is involved in a variety of drone-based solutions, from filming to inspection work.
Creative Department Website: https://dronevista.jp/
Industrial Department Website: https://dronespection.jp/
