- Please tell us about your company and services.

Endo (Hiroshi):This is Endo from Koei Dreamworks Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Koei"). Koei was established when a department in charge of new business ventures was spun off from KOEI Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "KOEI"), a facility construction company headquartered in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture.

There are two main businesses. The first is the manufacturing of pipe inspection machines that make unknown pipes visible. The pipe inspection robot "Pipe-kun," which will be described later, falls into this category. The other is collaboration with companies that use Koei's machines to tackle new projects.

-- Tell us about the plumbing company.

Endo (Hiroshi):Pipe-kun travels through pipes and takes pictures of what's going on inside them. However, this is something that conventional cameras have done as well. What makes Pipe-kun unique is that it records the coordinates of the route it travels, maps it in 3D, and links the captured video data with the mapping.

The location information for mapping is collected using a sensor attached to the pipe. Because it does not use GPS, 3D mapping is possible even in places where radio waves cannot reach, such as underground.

Nakano (Tokyu Railways):Since it can be used underground, it is a perfect fit for railway companies that operate subways.

Endo (Hiroshi):That's right. Also, if the robot only has a camera attached, it won't be able to see anything if the inside of the pipe is dirty. That's why we have a type of pipe that can move through the inside of the pipe while washing it with high-pressure water.

-- What kind of needs do buildings have when using Pipe-kun?

Endo (Hiroshi):Initially, we envisioned using the system to "inspect the inside of the pipes → find out the problem with the pipes → repair them." However, when we actually talked to customers, we heard many voices saying, "I don't even know what the current state of the pipes is," and "The position of the pipes is different from the drawing in reality."

-- So sometimes the piping positions differ from the drawings.

Nakano (Tokyu Railways):It is not uncommon for the design drawings to differ from the actual site after completion. This is because, as repair work is carried out, the route of the piping may change, such as "we can't run it through here," or "let's make a detour from that side." If these changes are not reflected in the overall drawing, the actual piping will differ from the drawing. It's not a good thing, but it can happen. I think it's a concern not only for railway companies, but all over Japan.

-- When would you use the Pipe Kun?

Endo (Hiroshi):There are cases where you want to create blueprints for renovating a building, and cases where you want to check the condition of the inside of a building that was constructed 30 to 40 years ago. Conversely, it has recently come to be used to check whether a new building is designed according to the blueprints, whether there is anything unnecessary inside, and whether it is properly glued when it is completed.

-- Your parent company, KOEI, is a historic company founded in 1946. Why did Koei become interested in open innovation?

Endo (Hiroshi):When we conducted market research for Kanpikun, we found that there was a greater need in the Tokyo and Kansai areas than in Yamagata and other parts of Tohoku. Of course, there are buildings in Yamagata (laughs), but there are more buildings in the Tokyo and Kansai areas, and redevelopment is also progressing. So when we were thinking about expanding into Tokyo first, we found out about TAP.

Shinmachi (Tokyu Railway):Koei contacted them and the TAP office first interviewed them. They officially applied to TAP as they seemed to be a good fit with the Tokyu Group companies that manage the facility, and they were introduced to us.

Nakano (Tokyu Railways):That being said, it's not uncommon to hear about things like "using a camera to look inside pipes," so to be honest, I wasn't expecting much at first. But when I heard about it because it was an introduction to TAP, I immediately realized that it was a technology that had never been seen before. I was particularly fascinated by the idea that it could identify the location of pipes.

Shinmachi (Tokyu Railway):For example, if we say "There's a leak, so let's fix it," and then we actually visit the site, it's not uncommon to find that "There's a pipe here that's not on the blueprint, and water is leaking from there." I had always wondered if there was something we could do, but I didn't have an effective solution. That's when I met Koei.

Endo (Hiroshi):We made an online pitch to Tokyu Group companies that gathered through TAP, and several companies, including Tokyu Corporation, showed interest.

In Yamagata, there are few opportunities like this, and even if there are, they are handled by the local government. Such opportunities are slower and a track record is important. In that respect, TAP took the stance of "Let's work together" even though they did not yet have a clear track record. They gave us various opinions as a local company, and made requests and advice on products that we needed to expand into Tokyo, so we felt that they supported us well.

Endo (Hiroshi):As an aside, Koei is the TAP for 2023.We also spoke at DemoDay.After that, we received an inquiry from a facility that saw the DemoDay.

-- Really? I'm glad I was able to help you.

-- What specific requests did Tokyu Corporation make to Koei?

Shinmachi (Tokyu Railway):An easy-to-understand example is the output of CAD data. Initially, the drawings that could be created with Kaizenkun could only be output to Excel. However, Tokyu Corporation manages its drawings as CAD data, so this was not practical. So we requested whether it was possible to output in CAD. Three months later, the function was implemented. We were surprised at how quickly it was done, and we could see the high level of their technical capabilities, which increased our trust in them.

Nakano (Tokyu Railways):We asked if it was possible to predict future repair locations. We wanted to be able to know things like, "It's not damaged now, but it's deteriorating, or blockages are progressing." Now we can get a report on that as well.

We have made many other requests and are currently discussing whether these features are truly necessary, whether other companies will also need them, and ultimately whether they will be beneficial to Koei.

-- Currently, Kanpei-kun is being used at Tokyu Railway stations as well.

Shinmachi (Tokyu Railway):We are currently conducting an investigation using the pipe system at several Tokyu Corporation stations. We had them create 3D drawings using CAD, and found that there were some discrepancies between the drawings and the actual situation. We plan to eventually use the pipe system at all stations.

Nakano (Tokyu Railways):Currently, we are only using the Pipe-kun on the drainage pipes, and all other pipe problems such as water supply pipes, hot water, fire water, and rainwater are solved by manpower. However, we would like to replace the management of other pipes with machines as much as possible. We are currently consulting with Koei to see if they can handle such things.

Furthermore, because piping cannot be inspected once and then be finished, we are currently discussing whether it is possible to manage the drawings on an ongoing basis and how the drawings should be preserved.

Endo (Hiroshi):In my personal opinion, drainage and drawing up blueprints are often done after the fact in terms of business operations. Moreover, if you only need to understand the scope of your own department, the blueprints and reality will become increasingly divergent. I think that in the future, it will be necessary to solve this problem using machines and technology rather than manpower.

-- Aside from Tokyu Corporation, Tokyu Construction and Tokyu Stores have also shown interest in your service. I've heard that they have needs that are different from those of construction companies, such as checking for aging equipment and taking measures against mold in pipes.

Endo (Hiroshi):Yes. I can't go into details yet, but we've already demonstrated the plumbing system in a building at a certain Tokyu Line station. Generally, in retail stores that have been vacated or renovated, the blueprints often don't match up with reality, so there seems to be a big need to update the blueprints to the latest ones.

-- Many companies in the Tokyu Group own "buildings," so it seems there are still many opportunities for you to work together with Koei.

Endo (Hiroshi):That's right. With so many new stores being renovated and places in need of repair, I've heard a lot of people having trouble with plumbing. I'd like to solve these problems one by one, starting with the Tokyu Group, and then solve the problems of other companies as well.

-- Finally, please tell us about the future prospects for Kanpei-kun and Koei.

Endo (Hiroshi):As mentioned at the beginning, Koei is a development company, but it also collaborates with other companies. This is because Goichi Funabashi, Koei's president, believes that "We can't just do the same things we've always done. Stagnation means decline." We want to team up with companies that share the same ideas and take on new challenges. This was the idea behind Koei's founding.

I'm proud that by working with Tokyu Corporation, we have been able to create something that is useful to society. If other companies can use it to contribute to their communities, we will be able to get closer to our founding vision. First of all, I would like to build a solid foothold with Tokyu Corporation. I look forward to your continued support.

NakanoShinmachi (Tokyu Railway):Thank you very much.

-- Thank you very much. The Tokyu Group will continue to support Koei in the future.