Japanese firm taps AI to plug water leakage

A Japanese firm has tapped artificial intelligence (AI) to help plug water leakage in the country.

The aged pipeline in the country has resulted in challenges to water supply.

However, a Japanese machinery manufacturer Kubota has begun employing the AI for data analysis of the water leakage and address the issue, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

The 700,000-kilometer (around 400,000-mile) water pipeline in Japan has suffered setbacks due to aging infrastructure as well as natural disaster.

Around 40% of these pipelines are set to surpass their lifespan within the next decade.

People in the earthquake-hit Noto Peninsula have faced disrupted water supply to 140,000 households and businesses since January last year.

Kubota, the manufacturer, is using AI to predict corrosion progression and the possibility of water leaks.

The predictions are based on the pipes' age and the surrounding soil quality, enabling inspections without excavation.

"We have been supplying water pipes for many years, so we know locations where the pipes tend to be eroded and aging. Developing a technology that can map out such pipes one by one will help us further contribute to the water supply business," said an official at Kubota.