CAC Holdings Corporation

CAC, in collaboration with Nikken Sekkei Total Research Institute, Inc. (NSRI), developed UT-AIZ^TM*, an engine that controls equipment and devices by detecting human movements with AI.

We then collaborated with Goldman Inc. in the development of the concept model of “Assist Swing UT-IAZ^TM”, incorporating UT-IAZ^TM into Goldman’s Assist Swing^® automatic doors. UT-AIZ^TM opens doors automatically by reading the gestures of people with disabilities, people dependent on care, or people who cannot use both of their hands since they are carrying their baggage or stuff, enabling them to pass through doorways easily. As well as its application for opening doors, it is envisaged that the UT-AIZ^TM will be used in a variety of other applications, such as monitoring of people requiring caregiver assistance, detection of signs of problems appearing on people’s daily lives, and crime prevention measures in towns.

*UT-AIZ is a registered trademark of NSRI and CAC (joint application pending), NSRI and CAC patent pending

Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Nagasaki Prefecture is blessed with abundant fishery resources, and fisheries and aquaculture have thrived there since ancient times. In recent years, though, Nagasaki has faced issues such as a decrease in production volume and value, a decrease in worker numbers, increases in natural disaster damage and costs, and a decline in productivity due to the pollution of its surrounding waters. Nagasaki Blue Economy is an initiative to sustainably develop the local economy by using its resources while protecting marine life and the environment through the realization of digital transformation (DX) in aquaculture. As part of the initiative, Nagasaki University and other partners from industry, government, and academia—both inside and outside of Nagasaki Prefecture—are working together on the following three themes.

CAC Corporation, which has a base in Nagasaki Prefecture, is also participating in Nagasaki Blue Economy. The theme that CAC Corporation is working on is the calculation of the asset value of farmed fish at aquaculture farms, digitized as data through the use of AI and IoT, and the creation of mechanisms for raising funds from financial institutions using the calculated value as collateral—what could be called Fintech for the fishing industry.

As the first demonstration experiment for this purpose, with the cooperation of Shoyo fisheries of Makishimamachi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, we have launched an experiment to ascertain the weight of farmed fish using underwater cameras powered by AI (smart cameras).

Since farmed fish are basically bought and sold at a unit price per kilo, it is very important to grasp and manage the level of growth (especially weight) of fish as data, from the viewpoints of both collateral at the time of financing and business management in the aquaculture industry. In the past, fish were scooped out of their reserves with a net and anesthetized for sampling measurements to be taken. This required a lot of time and effort to measure and convert into data, and there was also a risk that the fish could be harmed during the process.

In the experiment, we aimed to demonstrate that it is possible to obtain data on the weight of farmed fish without harming them, using video taken by an underwater camera and image recognition AI, without the need to scoop up fish with a net. As a result, we were able to successfully demonstrate that it is possible to estimate weight without actually touching the fish.

Starting with this demonstration experiment, CAC Corporation will engage in further initiatives to deliver Fintech for the fishing industry, and contribute to activities to solve social issues through Nagasaki BLUE Economy.

JICA Innovation Quest—a new project launched by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)—is an open innovation program that connects undiscovered ideas, new technologies, and individual passions with the world of international cooperation, to create new ideas for international cooperation activities.

ARK Systems, which participated in this program, worked with the support of JICA Madagascar Office as part of the Madagascar Team, together with volunteers from Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. and Koei Research & Consulting, Inc. The results were announced at the final presentation event in July 2022, and the Madagascar Team—with participating ARK Systems employees—received the grand prize.

The Madagascar Team developed an innovative Baby Height App (patent pending) under the theme of “development and demonstration of a height measurement app to support nutrition improvement activities in developing countries,” and conducted a demonstration experiment in Madagascar. The Baby Height App prototype was developed through joint research between Nippon Koei, Koei Research & Consulting, and ARK Systems which was in charge of the technical area in this research and development.

In developing countries, it is important to accurately grasp the nutritional status of children and provide appropriate nutrition improvement guidance, to alleviate malnutrition. Although height is an important indicator for measuring nutritional status, measuring the height of infants and toddlers with conventional methods poses problems such as low accuracy and high operational load, and these problems have remained unsolved for many years. With Baby Height App, anyone can easily measure a child’s height accurately, simply by holding their smartphone camera over the child. It is an innovative application that does not require the child to be held down (as with conventional measuring instruments), and enables children to be measured in a natural lying position.

The Baby Height App is expected to solve long-standing problems related to baby height measurement and further support the foundation of nutrition improvement activities. It is expected to be used not only in developing countries but also in situations where there are problems with the use of existing height scales, such as in nursery schools, pediatric clinics, and special needs schools—in Japan and overseas. Looking ahead, ARK Systems plans to strengthen its collaborative ties with Nippon Koei and Koei Research & Consulting, and engage in further research and development efforts to help with international cooperation activities for the practical application of Baby Height App.