Visualizing the 'Invisible Danger' of Gas Leaks: Development of the 'Laser Gas Visualizer', a New Safety Support System using AR and Lasers
NeoRealX, in collaboration with three companies including ENEOS GLOBE, has developed the 'Laser Gas Visualizer.' This system integrates AR technology with laser gas detectors to spatially visualize gas leaks, aiming to reduce reliance on experienced experts and improve on-site safety and efficiency.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 12:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 12:28 (96h 26m after Collected)
NeoRealX Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kiyoyasu Ando), in collaboration with ENEOS GLOBE Corporation, New Cosmos Electric Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation, has developed the 'Laser Gas Visualizer', an AR laser gas visualization system that visualizes gas leaks.
Background of Development
Combustible and toxic gases, including city gas and LP gas, as well as those handled in chemical plants, are widely used in settings ranging from daily life to advanced industrial sites. To prevent disasters such as explosions or poisoning, various gas detectors are used, and in recent years, remote gas detectors utilizing lasers have been put into practical use.
However, to accurately grasp the situation of a gas leak, it is necessary to estimate the momentarily changing diffusion state of the gas from measurement data. Until now, this has heavily relied on the experience and intuition of skilled inspectors.
As social issues such as the aging of infrastructure facilities and the shortage of skilled workers become apparent, there is a growing demand for the introduction of so-called smart security technologies that enable efficient gas leak exploration even by non-experts. Particularly in gas companies, plant operators, and infrastructure inspection operations, there are high expectations for improved operational efficiency and safety on-site.
Laser Gas Detection Technology
Technology has been put into practical use to detect the presence of methane on an optical path with high sensitivity through absorption spectroscopy using tunable semiconductor lasers. Similar technology is being expanded to other gas types.
While laser gas detectors have the excellent characteristic of being able to detect gas leaks remotely, their output is numerical information representing the integrated concentration (column density: ppm·m) on the optical path, and it does not directly show the three-dimensional spread of the gas.
Overview of the Developed Technology
The essence of this technology lies in converting the 'line detection information' from the laser into 'spatial information' that workers can intuitively understand.
In this project, we integrated AR (Augmented Reality) technology with laser gas detection technology to develop a system that visualizes gas leaks in real-time. By presenting the 'line information' obtained from remote detection as 'spatial information' that workers can understand on the spot, the accuracy and efficiency of inspections are improved.
The inspection flow is as follows:
- The inspector wears a helmet equipped with a laser gas detector and performs a hands-free inspection by aligning their line of sight with the direction of laser irradiation.
- Based on the detection data, information indicating the presence of gas is superimposed in the field of view through AR glasses.
- The display is maintained spatially according to the worker's movements, enabling efficient exploration using the location of the gas as a clue.
This makes it possible to grasp gas leaks, which conventionally relied on the experience of experts, in a more intuitive and reproducible form.
Furthermore, this initiative applies the value of XR technology that NeoRealX has been working on—'making the invisible visible'—to the gas safety field.
Gas leaks are inherently invisible dangers, and this invisibility is a contributing factor to accidents. By spatially visualizing this 'invisible danger', the system aims to support workers' judgment and contribute to the prevention of accidents.
System Configuration
This system links a laser gas detector with AR glasses to 'visualize' gas leaks in real-time.
Detected information is processed immediately and displayed in a form that intuitively shows the presence of gas within the worker's field of view. This makes it possible to visually understand the location of a leak, which previously relied on numbers and experience.
In addition, through voice guidance and display control, the system provides appropriate operational speeds and points of caution, supporting safe and efficient inspections regardless of experience.
This system is not intended for high-precision three-dimensional concentration distribution analysis, but is designed as a practical operational support system to grasp the existence of a leak early and support exploration and judgment.
Future Plans
We have realized the important need in the gas detection field of visualizing gas leaks through the fusion of the latest technologies.
Moving forward, we aim for early practical application through field tests and will also consider expanding its application to gas types other than methane, such as ammonia, that can be detected via lasers. Furthermore, we will continue to develop this technology as a solution that contributes to the prevention of gas leak accidents both domestically and internationally.
Background of Development
Combustible and toxic gases, including city gas and LP gas, as well as those handled in chemical plants, are widely used in settings ranging from daily life to advanced industrial sites. To prevent disasters such as explosions or poisoning, various gas detectors are used, and in recent years, remote gas detectors utilizing lasers have been put into practical use.
However, to accurately grasp the situation of a gas leak, it is necessary to estimate the momentarily changing diffusion state of the gas from measurement data. Until now, this has heavily relied on the experience and intuition of skilled inspectors.
As social issues such as the aging of infrastructure facilities and the shortage of skilled workers become apparent, there is a growing demand for the introduction of so-called smart security technologies that enable efficient gas leak exploration even by non-experts. Particularly in gas companies, plant operators, and infrastructure inspection operations, there are high expectations for improved operational efficiency and safety on-site.
Laser Gas Detection Technology
Technology has been put into practical use to detect the presence of methane on an optical path with high sensitivity through absorption spectroscopy using tunable semiconductor lasers. Similar technology is being expanded to other gas types.
While laser gas detectors have the excellent characteristic of being able to detect gas leaks remotely, their output is numerical information representing the integrated concentration (column density: ppm·m) on the optical path, and it does not directly show the three-dimensional spread of the gas.
Overview of the Developed Technology
The essence of this technology lies in converting the 'line detection information' from the laser into 'spatial information' that workers can intuitively understand.
In this project, we integrated AR (Augmented Reality) technology with laser gas detection technology to develop a system that visualizes gas leaks in real-time. By presenting the 'line information' obtained from remote detection as 'spatial information' that workers can understand on the spot, the accuracy and efficiency of inspections are improved.
The inspection flow is as follows:
- The inspector wears a helmet equipped with a laser gas detector and performs a hands-free inspection by aligning their line of sight with the direction of laser irradiation.
- Based on the detection data, information indicating the presence of gas is superimposed in the field of view through AR glasses.
- The display is maintained spatially according to the worker's movements, enabling efficient exploration using the location of the gas as a clue.
This makes it possible to grasp gas leaks, which conventionally relied on the experience of experts, in a more intuitive and reproducible form.
Furthermore, this initiative applies the value of XR technology that NeoRealX has been working on—'making the invisible visible'—to the gas safety field.
Gas leaks are inherently invisible dangers, and this invisibility is a contributing factor to accidents. By spatially visualizing this 'invisible danger', the system aims to support workers' judgment and contribute to the prevention of accidents.
System Configuration
This system links a laser gas detector with AR glasses to 'visualize' gas leaks in real-time.
Detected information is processed immediately and displayed in a form that intuitively shows the presence of gas within the worker's field of view. This makes it possible to visually understand the location of a leak, which previously relied on numbers and experience.
In addition, through voice guidance and display control, the system provides appropriate operational speeds and points of caution, supporting safe and efficient inspections regardless of experience.
This system is not intended for high-precision three-dimensional concentration distribution analysis, but is designed as a practical operational support system to grasp the existence of a leak early and support exploration and judgment.
Future Plans
We have realized the important need in the gas detection field of visualizing gas leaks through the fusion of the latest technologies.
Moving forward, we aim for early practical application through field tests and will also consider expanding its application to gas types other than methane, such as ammonia, that can be detected via lasers. Furthermore, we will continue to develop this technology as a solution that contributes to the prevention of gas leak accidents both domestically and internationally.