Water pipe panic-The savior is a "venture from Japan"-

[Postscript] Troubles of aging water pipes in Yokohama and Wakayama were repeated. In the United States, a system that predicts the probability of water pipe breakage using AI is drawing attention. * This is a reprint of an article published last June. (Titles and numbers and those at the time)

Hot water does not come out even if you turn the tap. Sudden blackout. The road is full of holes. The United States, the world's largest economy. Often due to aging infrastructure. Especially serious is the water pipe. 240,000 damages occur annually. About half a year ago, a water pipe, about 100 years old in Los Angeles, burst and a residential area was flooded. Under these circumstances, a new system that predicts water pipes with a high probability of breakage using AI = artificial intelligence is drawing attention. The company was developed by a Silicon Valley company led by a Japanese CEO. How do you make a prediction? (Kaori Iida, Los Angeles Branch Director)

Water leakage is a daily occurrence

Midwest Kansas is known as the setting for the Wizard of Oz. The city of Topeka, which became the state capital in 1861, has an old townscape.

In the city, water pipes that have been installed for more than 100 years are not uncommon, and they are suffering from more than 500 leaks per year due to aging. On the day I visited for the interview, I was informed that the road was flooded, and when a worker rushed into the area, I found a water pipe with two holes.
The city's Water Bureau is working to renew a 1,400-kilometer water pipe while repairing broken spots like a mole swatter.

The problem is budget. The budget for renewing water pipes will be $ 4 million every year through 2023. According to the city, renewing a mile (1.6 km) of water pipe would cost $ 1 million (more than 100 million yen), which would take 250 years to complete.

The problem in the city of Topeka is the tip of the iceberg, and in the United States, as many as 240,000 leaks and ruptures per year are a major social problem.

Focused on Japanese managers

The focus was on the Fracta, a Japanese company founded four years ago. A startup company with 30 employees in Silicon Valley.

CEO Takashi Kato (40) is working on a system that predicts the time of rupture or breakage of water pipes using AI = artificial intelligence.

The company's name was taken from "fractal", which means "very complicated figure", with the thought of "doing complicated things."
How do you predict when a water pipe will burst or break? The key is “environmental data”.
AI makes machine learning of more than 100 kinds of "environmental data" such as the age, length, diameter, material, etc. since water pipe laying, distance from the coastline and station, and predicts the state of deterioration of underground water pipes Let me

The life of the water pipe changes greatly depending on the environment in which it is installed. The average life expectancy of iron pipes is 100 years, but the life of some pipes can be as short as 30 years, depending on the soil and weather conditions, as well as the vibration of automobiles and the surrounding population.

Unique career "I thought it would be profitable"

"The problem of broken or ruptured water pipes in the U.S. is serious, and we focused on the water business, thinking that providing a solution would pay for it."

Mr. Kato has a unique background. He retired from a major bank he worked for after graduating from university and became one of the founders of the humanoid robot venture Schaft (Shaft). He was at the forefront of negotiations when he sold his company to Google in 2013.

Known as a “serial entrepreneur,” the desk was proudly decorated with photos and texts taken with fellow Schafts. When he came to Silicon Valley, he was thinking of doing business with a robot that inspects plumbing, but it was unprofitable, and Mr. Kato said, "a major failure."

It seems that he has shifted his focus from robots to the software business using AI.

Expect significant cost reduction

The city of Topeka has been hurt by the successive damage to water pipes. In May, we introduced a fractal prediction system.

The city has been replacing iron water pipes in order, starting with the one that has passed the average life of 100 years.

Ms. Braxton Copley, Deputy Director of the City Water Board, believes that the efficiency gained by implementing the system can significantly reduce costs.

"I can now determine which of my water pipes to spend my limited budget on first. I don't have to rely on the voice of the site that the water pipe in that area is deteriorating."

It also says that water pipes that need to be renewed on a priority basis will be "visible," making it easier to explain to city council members and citizens.

The next aim is “Reverse landing”

"We can reduce the cost of renewing the piping."

Mr. Kato took this word to heart and signed contracts with more than 40 municipal water utilities in 18 states.

What we are aiming for is "reverse landing" in Japan. According to Mr. Kato, apart from Tokyo, which has only 200 leaks a year due to aggressive infrastructure investment, many local cities in Japan have been delayed in renewing water pipes due to financial difficulties. I argue that Japan is not alone.

"In Japan, water pipes are easily rusted because they are surrounded by the sea, but they are neglected or neglected. The United States is definitely Japan today," said Kato.

This means that we have already been working with Kawasaki City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau to conduct a verification test of the degradation prediction service. But why didn't you start in Japan in the first place?

Mr. Kato points out that in Japan, unlike the United States, companies without a track record would not have been able to provide data. He says that he can provide data only because he "reverses in Japan" as a successful company in the United States.

While valuing Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial spirit, he said that he would like to push out that the top management and the person in charge of technology are all Japanese and expand business opportunities in Japan.

Kaori Iida, Los Angeles Branch Director
Joined in 1992 Kyoto bureau, economic department, Washington bureau, etc.
Los Angeles since 2017