WOTA Partners with Hamamatsu Photonics to Enhance Water Quality Data Infrastructure, Launching Development of Water Quality Sensing Technology for Autonomous Next-Generation Water Circulation Systems

WOTA Inc. (Representative Director and CEO: Yosuke Maeda, hereinafter "WOTA"), which challenges the structural resolution of water issues, has begun developing water quality sensing technology to support the autonomous control of next-generation water circulation systems, aiming for the autonomy and sophistication of small-scale decentralized water circulation systems. In this initiative, with the cooperation of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (President and CEO: Tadashi Maruno, hereinafter "Hamamatsu Photonics"), which possesses world-class technical capabilities in the field of optical technology, WOTA is developing a continuous monitoring technology that measures multiple water quality parameters simultaneously using the company's spectroscopy technology. This technology aims to realize real-time optimization of water treatment processes by grasping changes in water quality in real-time and linking that data directly to the control of the water treatment process. WOTA's core technology lies in its unique autonomous control technology that designs water treatment and control algorithms as an integrated unit. By combining various sensors and algorithms, it grasps the state of equipment and water quality in real-time and automatically controls the water treatment process. This technology enables optimal control of water treatment while constantly and remotely monitoring the system's state, realizing safe and sustainable water circulation. Sensing technology that accurately and in real-time grasps water quality plays a core role in establishing such autonomous control. Aiming for further technological sophistication, WOTA is collaborating with Hamamatsu Photonics, which has world-class technical capabilities and achievements in the field of optical sensors and optical measurement, to develop technology that realizes monitoring of diverse water quality using the company's spectroscopy technology. This initiative is an important step toward the sophistication of water infrastructure, including the acquisition and analysis of water quality data, not just the development of water treatment equipment. The acquired water quality data will be accumulated and analyzed, leading to the construction of a data infrastructure that will be shared and utilized among multiple water circulation systems in the future. WOTA is building a foundation that supports not only the sophistication of water treatment systems but also the optimization of overall water usage by combining sensing technology and data utilization. Hamamatsu Photonics is a company with world-class technical capabilities in optical sensors and optical measurement technology, providing high-precision sensing technology in cutting-edge fields such as medical equipment, scientific research, and space development. It has a high technical foundation in both light detection (reception) and generation (emission), and in particular, it has a high global share in photomultiplier tubes (PMT) that detect weak light with high sensitivity. This technology is utilized in a wide range of fields, including academic research, PET diagnostic equipment in the medical field, and industrial measurement. In addition, the company's photomultiplier tubes are used for neutrino observation in Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande, and these studies led to the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 and 2015. Furthermore, it possesses high technical capabilities in fields such as semiconductor analysis, supporting research and development and practical application in various industrial fields based on measurement and analysis technology using light. Such advanced optical sensing technology serves as an important foundation supporting the sophistication of water quality sensing in this development. In particular, the technology to detect weak light with high sensitivity is also highly effective in detecting minute component changes in water. The sensor under development is a water quality sensing technology with the following features: - Real-time and continuous measurement of water quality - Simultaneous acquisition of multiple water quality parameters - Utilization of acquired data for autonomous control of water treatment This enables optimization of water treatment processes, early detection of water quality abnormalities, and improvement of the safety of the entire water circulation system. Furthermore, through the accumulation and analysis of acquired water quality data, it realizes advanced control of water treatment and efficiency of operation. This initiative is positioned as an important step to promote the sophistication and digitalization of water infrastructure by strengthening the acquisition and analysis infrastructure of water quality data. In the decentralized water circulation system promoted by WOTA, this sensor functions as a foundational technology supporting the autonomous control of water treatment, contributing to the realization of safe and sustainable water use. WOTA will continue to advance the sophistication of small-scale decentralized water circulation systems through water quality sensing technology and water treatment technology, and aims to realize sustainable water infrastructure.