New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, NEDO, Shutoko Engineering, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and Tohoku University announced that they developed image analyzing system integrating AI technology to detect concrete cracks. The system can spot cracks 0.2 mm and larger and record automatically with more than 80% accuracy. The time to inspect concrete structures such as bridges and tunnels is expected to reduce from five hours by eyesight to thirty minutes by the new system.

Inspectors photograph surface of concrete structures by digital cameras and smart phones and images are analyzed by the AI system in the cloud storage. While AI image analysis technology has been in practical use, NEDO and the others have the system learn more than 600 images of concrete cracks and improve the efficiency of the conventional system. The system will be released to public access for free and the private businesses can demonstrate it in the field. (2017/08/4)