On August 28th, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo unveiled the exhibition themes for the pavilions at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will focus on "Cities of the Future." Among the exhibitors, Asunaro Aoki Construction and Komatsu will present a detailed large-scale model of a remotely operated underwater construction robot, highlighting the future of underwater engineering. Meanwhile, the CP Concrete Consortium, led by Hazama Ando Corporation, will showcase the advantages of their carbon-sequestering concrete, known as "Carbon Pool Concrete" (CP Concrete), which captures and stores carbon dioxide.

During a press conference held in Tokyo on the same day, representatives from each company explained their exhibits. Asunaro Aoki and Komatsu will feature a large, meticulously crafted model demonstrating their underwater construction robot, equipped with automated control functions currently under testing. This robot aims to address the labor shortage while ensuring safety and efficiency in various scenarios, including disaster response.

A representative from Asunaro Aoki Construction remarked, "We are working toward the realization of 'Future Underwater Construction,' where underwater robots can be remotely operated from safe and comfortable offices. Our goal is to revolutionize construction sites, making them accessible to all." The company also expressed its commitment to contributing to climate change mitigation by utilizing blue carbon—carbon captured by marine ecosystems.

The CP Concrete Consortium will provide seating made from CP Concrete for visitors, who will also be shown a video guided by AI. The video will simulate a flight over a future city where global warming has intensified, contrasting it with a future city where the adoption of CP Concrete has played a crucial role in overcoming the climate crisis.

A representative from Hazama Ando emphasized, "By adopting CP Concrete, buildings and roads, which are ubiquitous around the world, will absorb CO2, turning cities themselves into a key solution for preventing global warming." (2024/08/29)