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Toshiba to Provide Remote Support Service to Tohoku Electric for Maintenance and Facility Operation of Substations

- To improve the efficiency of maintenance using smart glasses
- Tohoku Electric started operation at more than 600 substations

October 15, 2018
Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation

Kawasaki, Japan — Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Toshiba ESS) and Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Toshiba DS) today announced that the companies have delivered their remote support service with smart glasses to the Tohoku Electric Power Co. (Tohoku Electric) for the maintenance of substations.

Tohoku Electric has consistently made efforts in accordance with the Tohoku Electric Power Group's Medium-Term Management amid a dramatically changing business environment. One of their policies has been to improve and advance operation of their facilities using new technologies such as IoT, AI, and big data analysis. Since FY2016, Tohoku Electric and Toshiba Group have been conducting research on improving efficiency as well as safer maintenance and facility operation of substations. Their research found that a remote support service using smart glasses was the most effective plan, so as a result, Tohoku Electric decided to adopt the technology for use at more than 600 substations.

The service allows remote supporters to see or hear the site situation as if they exist there and share the same information with site workers, so that site workers can proceed tasks while having supporter's advices. It is expected to improve efficiency, such as when checking equipment and meeting at the site. It is also effective for connecting several bases using video conference systems when accidents or other problems occur.

Hideki Saito, Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Systems Division at Toshiba ESS, said, “ I’m confident that we will contribute to improving efficiency and maintenance safety using our know-how as a leading supplier of integrated energy solutions with Toshiba DS’s digital technology.”

Shunsuke Okada, Vice President of Industrial Solutions Division at Toshiba DS, said, “Our goal is to create a total solution for the maintenance of substations using our digital technology based on Toshiba IoT Architecture SPINEX™, which brings together a diverse range of on-site expertise with AI and other cutting-edge technologies with Toshiba ESS.”

Toshiba DS designed and built the entire system using OPTiM's remote support service. The system was based on Toshiba ESS's knowledge surrounding the transmission and distribution of energy. Once operation begins, Toshiba IT-Services Corporation will pledge their support.