Toshiba will partner with auto parts manufacturer Alpine Electronics Inc to commercialise a system by March 2018 to inspect remote infrastructure such as power cables and steel towers.
Their service will combine Alpine Electronics Inc's satellite navigation knowledge and Toshiba's digital image processing and artificial intelligence technologies.
Camera and printer maker Canon Inc. also announced an investment in Prodrone Co, an Aichi prefecture-based firm that manufactures drones for industrial use.
Canon and Prodrone are planning to sell drones loaded with Canon's cameras for farming, infrastructure inspection and surveillance purposes.
Among other major Japanese companies, agricultural machinery maker Kubota Corp said last month it will start selling drones for spraying farmland with pesticides in 2017.