#Japan #Chiba #Liberaware #IBIS2 #Chiba City

Innovative Drain Inspection Utilizing Drones in Chiba City

On May 26, 2025, Liberaware, a company based in Chiba City, engaged in an inspection of rainwater drainage facilities, commonly referred to as rainwater pipes, using a cutting-edge drone named IBIS2. This initiative is part of the 'Trial Order Certification Project' implemented by Chiba City, which supports the expansion of sales channels for excellent new products and services developed by local SMEs.

Background of the Inspection

The rationale behind this inspection stems from a previous incident in 2024, where the drone was instrumental in locating a truck driver's seat in a collapsed road scenario in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture. Recognizing the drone’s capabilities, Chiba City’s sewage maintenance section expressed interest in applying similar techniques within their jurisdiction. The goal was to identify and assess deteriorating structures within the rainwater pipes, which often feature complex internal designs that are challenging to examine visually. Hence, early detection of deterioration or abnormalities is critical.

Details of the Inspection

The target for inspection consisted of large-diameter pipes exceeding five meters, which have not undergone any inspections to date due to the challenges of accessing such closed spaces, where the risk of asphyxiation is present. Ensuring worker safety is paramount in these scenarios. Liberaware's IBIS2 successfully navigated approximately 600 meters of linear distance, capturing intricate internal visuals that included sharp bends and narrow areas within the pipes.
Additionally, the inspection facilitated testing of a newly developed distance-measuring device within a closed environment, which was crucial for understanding the drone's immediate position despite the absence of external radio signals. The evaluation revealed significant enhancements in work efficiency and data consistency in report generation compared to traditional measurement techniques, thereby improving overall inspection accuracy.

Outcomes and Future Implications

Overall, the findings from this operation indicated that the method employed is very effective for drainage inspections, despite being acknowledged as needing further development for more detailed investigations within the sewage sector by the Chiba City sewage maintenance division. The successful implementation of small drones and advanced technologies for infrastructure inspections positioned Liberaware's efforts as a pathway to achieve both safety and efficiency.

As the IBIS drone continues to be deployed across various sites, its use directly contributes to establishing standardized operational models for sewage infrastructure inspections. The challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure are growing urgent across municipalities, and the operational standardization of IBIS is seen as a vital solution, contributing to national resilience enhancement while achieving safety, efficiency, and cost reduction simultaneously.

The anticipation is that with a growing number of cases utilizing the IBIS drone, the operational workflows, inspection precision, and reproducibility of data will gain recognition, paving the way for the establishment of guidelines and institutionalization of drone application in sewage investigations. This will be integral in solidifying IBIS's status as a standard tool in the nationwide infrastructure inspection market.

At Liberaware, we view this ongoing trend as a growth opportunity, focusing on continuous improvements in both hardware and software and strengthening collaborations with partner municipalities and businesses. While the impact on our performance for the fiscal period ending July 2025 is expected to be minor, we will promptly disclose any significant developments as they arise.

About Liberaware

Liberaware is on a mission to create a safer society, specializing in the development of one of the world's smallest drones designed for inspections and measurements in 'narrow, dark, dangerous' indoor spaces. Our drone collects visual data which we analyze and provide to clients as part of our infrastructure inspection and maintenance solutions, driving toward our vision of 'visualizing invisible risks' and promoting a safe, peaceful society.

Company Name: Liberaware
CEO: Min Hongkyu
Location: 3-3-1 Chuo, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
Established: August 22, 2016
Business Activities:

• - Drone Services: Investigation, inspection, and surveying services using drones, along with the sale and rental of in-house developed drones.
• - Digital Twin Services: Image processing and data analysis services based on data collected by drones, including licensing of our image processing technology.
• - Solution Development: Providing a wide range of solutions from hardware to software under contract-based development agreements.

Website: Liberaware
X Account: Liberaware X