Thanks to its unique design, the HAGAMOSphere drone can fly in all directions without tilting, and even move on the ground by rolling.
HAGAMOSphere, a ball-like spherical drone that can move in all directions without tilting, was awarded the Innovation Award Honoree and displayed at the CES 2025 exhibition taking place in Las Vegas, USA, January 7 – 10. The award saw the prototype recognized for its design and engineering excellence. This is the first time the leading Japanese chemical company DIC has received this award.
DIC collaborated with Masashi Miwa, an associate professor at Tokushima University, and drone development company Hishida to develop and test the new drone model. DIC is involved in selecting materials to build the drone, designing the structures needed for mass production, and using computer-aided engineering (CAE) to run flight simulations.
“We look forward to providing new value to society through innovative innovations and technology,” said Takashi Ikeda, president and CEO of DIC.
Over the past few years, the design of drones around the world has undergone many changes. They are equipped with many additional devices to help maintain stability when flying, but not needing to tilt is a remarkable achievement.
Inside HAGAMOSphere there are 8 propellers mounted on a cube frame. A proprietary algorithm keeps the drone balanced by controlling the rotation of the eight propellers. This allows it to move forward, backward, left, and right without tilting.
DIC further improved by developing a special spherical protective layer that allows the drone to roll on the ground and move on its own. Thanks to that, drones can operate both in the air and on the ground depending on requirements, expanding the scope of applications. With unique capabilities, drones can be used for research, search and rescue, reconnaissance, disaster response, and even in drone races.