NEWS RELEASE
August 20, 2020

[ MIRAIT Technologies Corporation ]Briefing Held on Results of PPP Research on “Water Pipe Construction
Management System Using Photoruction”
Using computers and smartphones to simplify preparation of documents and supervision operations
in water pipe construction
The City of Kobe Waterworks Bureau (Water Supply Manager: Yasuo Yamamoto), Kurimoto, Ltd.
(head office: Osaka-shi, Osaka: representative: Kushida Moriyoshi), Photoruction, Inc. (head office:Chuo-ku, Tokyo; representative: Takaharu Nakajima), MIRAIT Technologies Corporation (headoffice: Osaka-shi, Osaka; representative: Yasushi Totake), which is a Group company of MIRAIT
Holdings Corporation, and JFE Engineering Corporation (head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo;
representative: Hajime Oshita) held a briefing on the results of the joint research on a “Water Pipe
Construction Management System Using Photoruction” (hereinafter referred to as the “System”).
From the perspective of preventing the spread of novel coronavirus, the briefing was held using a“hybrid format” combining online streaming, and approximately 300 people from companies andwater-supply corporations nationwide participated.
1. Background of the Joint ResearchWater-supply corporations nationwide, including the City of Kobe are entering a period whenfacilities constructed and invested in during the period of rapid growth need to be updated at once
while faced with the difficult situation of revenue from water rates decreasing due to reduced water
demand. In particular, they are required to update and further strengthen the earthquake resistance ofaging pipe conduits accounting for much of the investment. However, both the public sector andprivate sector are having difficulty securing engineers and passing along skills, and the improvementof productivity and operational efficiency are significant issues for the continuity of operations.
Participants in this joint research included water-supply corporations and water pipe manufacturers,
in addition to communications construction companies and IT vendors who did not have any contact
with the water supply business in the past, and the research was conducted across the boundaries of thepublic and private sectors, business types and industries in an effort to improve efficiency andautomate water pipe construction management operations by utilizing water supply infrastructureknow-how and ICT.

2. Results of the Joint Research
The objectives of the joint research are productivity improvements and work style reforms, andthree characteristics of the System intended to resolve these issues are described below.
(1) System implementation
The items that had previously been recorded in field books after performing checks on site in water
pipe construction on the type of pipes employed as water service pipes in the City of Kobe (ductile
steel pipes, steel pipes and polyethylene pipes) are input into mobile terminals such as smartphones
and tablets to automatically generate a water joint check sheet.
Information can be shared among the parties issuing and receiving orders because construction
information such as the construction documents prepared and the photographs taken are stored in thecloud.
(2) Automation and digitization
Work photographs are automatically arranged using an electronic blackboard according to rules thatcan be set at will.
In future, the aim is to digitize text information using image recognition technology on handwritten
water joint check sheets and conventional construction photographs using construction blackboards.
(3) Improvement of efficiency and labor saving
Redundant input tasks can be reduced when preparing documents by linking digital informationsuch as electronic blackboards and multiple construction documents (progress management, qualitymanagement, pipe journals, piping diagrams, and volume of materials used).
An update history (identification of information on additions, changes and deletions) is retained
when updating construction records, etc. for which input tasks have been performed, enabling theinformation to be checked by parties placing and receiving orders and facilitating reconfirmation of
items when revising the content of documents, and essentially making comparison of data acrossdocuments unnecessary.

3. Moving forward
Provision of the “Water Pipe Construction Management System Using Photoruction” willcommence in autumn of 2020.
The System will support the improvement of productivity of water-supply corporations andconstruction companies nationwide with the aim of improving the efficiency of water pipe
construction work.