Sony is partnering with a Tokyo start-up to launch a drone subsidiary business.

Aerosense, which will be incorporated early next month, will be a joint venture between Sony Mobile and ZMP.

Sony will contribute its camera, sensor, and telecommunications technology which will be combined with ZMP’s automated driving and robotics know-how.

In a statement, the companies said they would develop and launch “enterprise solutions using autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles for image capture combined with cloud-based data processing”.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Aerosense will sell services using drones but not the drones themselves.

Areas of focus include “measuring, surveying, observing, and inspecting”. It aims to roll out these services for enterprise customers from next year.

It is not clear to what extent the business will focus on media production.