Ocean plastic debris are global issues nowadays. Japan Space Systems contributes to develop digital tools for monitoring plastic wastes in urban areas of ASEAN cities as a part of framework named Closing the Loop by United Nations Economic Social Committee in Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). 

POINTS

For monitoring plastic wastes in urban areas:

• Developments of Digital Tools
  • Development of a web-based GIS data sharing system
  • Development of a mobile app
• Development of Sustainable Civil Participation Framework
  • Collaborations with local universities
  • Development of civil participation frameworks
• Innovation
  • AI data analysis
  • Liquid Crystal Tunable Filer by Genesia, Inc.

Digital Tools

High specification of servers and network systems are required for developments of webGIS system. Budget preparations and capacity developments on IT engineers are difficult for local governments of developing counties in some case. Japan Space Systems developed GIS Data Sharing System (GDSS) in 2015. GDSS was designed simple, compact and low-cost as being developed and operated on a laptop PC without any IT specialists. GDSS makes local government officers who are not familiar with IT system operation will be able to collect and map data and analyze the current situations of the target areas.

Plastic Hotspots in Da Nang: Plastic waste locations were collected by University of Da Nang. Tidal lines can be estimated by GCOM-C, and plastic wastes can be deposited there.

Japan Space Systems developed FIELDNAUT as a field survey application. FIELDNAUT is a mobile app to receive signals from GNSS, photo images and text with gelogical coordination. Collected data by FIELDNAUT are compiled as GeoJSON and KML formats, data files can be shared through email and SNS tools. FIELDNAUT data will be archived GDSS, plastic waste hotspots and leakage points will be analyzed for plastic waste management in ASEAN cities.

Sustainable Civil Participation Framework

Experts of Japan Space Systems cannot travel ASEAN cities due to COVID-19 pandemic. Japan Space Systems signed MOUs with local universities and institutions for collaborations on field survey. local universities engaged students and local communities to collect plastic waste locations by FIELDNAUT and other mobile apps. They also estimate amount of plastic waste in river waters by counting on bridges. Thus, they will be able to estimate leakage amount of plastic wastes in urban areas to oceans. Japan Space Systems aims to develop sustainable plastic waste managements through those activities with local counterparts and local communities.

Innovation

Japan Space Systems collaborates with Prof. Kiyoki, Keio University to develop AI analysis for plastic waste monitoring. Prof. Kiyoki developed AI system named 5D. In the Project, 5D analyzes photo images which are collected by local citizens to estimate amount of plastic wastes. Japan Space Systems, on the other hand, develops spectral AI for estimating plastic materials. Plastic materials have unique absorption curve on the wavelengths between 1,660 nm and 1,770 nm. The spectral AI estimates plastic materials by using unique spectral absorption curves. Estimating of amount and locations of plastic wastes by data from local communities and mapping deposition locations by satellite data analysis will be realized by those new technologies.

Genesia, Inc. develops Liquid Crystal Tunable Filer (LCTF) by its original technologies. This sensor tune filer to make wavelengths through by electric signals. Target materials can be detected by LCTF. LCTF will be loaded as a mission sensor of PETREL (Tokyo Institute of Technology), one of micro-satellites of Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-3, and it will be launched in 2022. Japan Space Systems collaborates with Genesia and Tokyo Institute of Technology for developing plastic waste monitoring system by the micro-satellites.