TOKYO — Engineers in Japan are developing AI-based systems to identify roadside and park trees at risk of falling or shedding branches, as aging urban trees and a shortage of specialists raise public safety concerns.japantoday
The technology is being considered by local governments that lack enough tree experts to inspect trees regularly and decide whether they should be cut down.english.kyodonews
One system, developed by Tokyo-based Optim Corp and Kyuden Droneservice Co., uses drones to detect dead trees, while another from Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. analyzes smartphone or tablet photos of damaged or decayed tree parts to assess collapse risk on a four-level scale.baomoi+1
The systems currently cover zelkova and cherry trees, with ginkgo and other species expected to be added later.english.kyodonews+1
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said there were 1,732 tree-related accidents in parks and along roads between April 2021 and November 2024, including 110 that caused injury or death.english.kyodonews
Local governments such as Kizugawa in Kyoto Prefecture, Miyakonojo in Miyazaki Prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan government have already tested the system, and about 20 local governments are considering adoption, according to Sumitomo Mitsui Construction.baomoi+1
The company plans to launch the service commercially in fiscal 2027.