Introduction of on-demand underground visualization service: Hitachi and OYO Corporation to provide information on buried objects at the required location at any time

Hitachi Ltd. and OYO Corporation, a company specializing in geological surveys with strengths in 3D ground penetrating radar, have strengthened the "underground visualization service" developed for infrastructure companies and construction/designers (such as water and sewage, gas, electricity, and telecommunications), and started to provide it as a new on-demand service utilizing cloud software. This "ground visualization service" is a solution jointly developed by combining OYO Corporation's ground penetrating radar exploration equipment and know-how with Hitachi Lumada's AI and image analysis technology. It visualizes and centrally manages the positions and dimensions of buried objects, such as gas and water pipes, in the ground with high accuracy, and also provides information on the buried objects necessary for underground excavation work.

Through these improvements, with the cooperation of 18 business entities nationwide (such as local governments and the steel industry), continuous evaluation verifications and improvements were realized through underground radar exploration totaling 240 km. Moreover, the accuracy of the analysis technology was further improved. In addition, by making it a cloud service (SaaS) and facilitating its use, it has become possible to provide on-demand information on buried objects at the relevant locations as and when required. It is expected that the maintenance and management work of the social infrastructure will be improved, such as improving the efficiency of planning, designing, and construction during wide-ranging new pipeline construction and renewal and reducing the risk of damage accidents involving buried pipes and delays in the construction period. In the future, by centrally managing and sharing construction plans and existing buried object information through a Web browser, the companies will further support the improvement of customer convenience and productivity by reducing man-hours, such as individual adjustments between businesses and witnessing construction work, as well as facilitating communication between businesses.