Have you ever lost something on public transport and thought it was gone for good? Well, in Japan, artificial intelligence is stepping up to change that! Forget the days of despair; now, AI can help track down your lost belongings, breathing life back into those forgotten items.

AI-Powered Lost-and-Found Systems Sweep Japan

Public transportation providers and various organizations across Japan are rolling out cutting-edge AI technology to manage lost items. This innovative solution categorizes and catalogs missing belongings, making it easier than ever to find and return them.

A formidable alliance of approximately 30 organizations, including the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau and Haneda Airport, has embraced this "lost-and-found platform" developed by Tokyo’s Find Inc. The AI transformation is now active at around 2,300 stations and facilities throughout the country.

A Huge Boost in Recovery Rates!

Tokyo’s railway giant Keio Corp. is celebrating a remarkable leap in its lost property recovery rate—from less than 10% to an impressive 30%! This uplifting statistic underscores the efficiency of the newly implemented system.

How the Tech Works: A Step-by-Step Guide

When an item is turned in, staff snap a photo using tablets. Find's AI then analyzes its color, shape, and other features, storing this information in a centralized database.

Lost item owners can simply reach out through popular messaging apps like Line, entering details about their missing items. Even without a photo, they can select a similar image, and AI will scour the database to find matches, presenting options ranked by likelihood.

A Wave of Appreciation