The Taoyuan City Government's Department of Environmental Protection (TYDEP) has made significant strides in AI-powered enforcement measures, successfully promoting its smart city enforcement model to international audiences. On the 30th, a delegation of eight members from the "Japan National Young City Council Members OB Association," led by Aichi Prefecture's Toyota City Council member Koichi Okada, visited the TYDEP’s Environmental Quality Monitoring Center. The delegation expressed their admiration at Taoyuan's innovative use of smart technology in environmental protection.
TYDEP Director-General Chen Shih-wei highlighted that Japan has long been a popular destination for Taiwanese tourists. Japan’s environmental protection practices has especially been a role model to emulate for the TYDEP. Since Mayor Chang San-cheng introduced the "Smart Taoyuan" policy last year, TYDEP has been actively developing AI image recognition technology to enhance inspection efficiency and enforce environmental protection. To date, the TYDEP has completed seven AI image recognition subsystems, integrating air quality sensors, water quality IoT, and audio-visual technology. These systems are used to monitor and control four key areas: air quality, river water quality, environmental hygiene, and motorcycle noise. Chen expressed hope that this visit would foster Taiwan-Japan exchange and deepen connections, allowing the Japanese delegation to better understand Taoyuan's efforts in environmental protection.
The TYDEP also noted that the recognition system have earned prestigious accolades in various smart city competitions. Among these, the AI Smoke Detection System was honored with the "2023 Smart 50 Awards" and the Gold Medal at the "3rd TSAA Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards." Additionally, the AI Construction Dust Recognition System and the Smart Vehicle Detection System both received the "Taoyuan City Government 2023 Innovation Award." The AI Water Color Recognition System was further recognized with the "GO SMART Award 2024."
The "Japan National Young City Council Members Association" was established to advance local revitalization and democratic development, bringing together council members aged 25 to 45 from across Japan. Members who surpass the age of 45 transition to the "Japan National Young City Council Members OB Association." Today's visiting delegation included prominent members such as Koichi Okada from Aichi Prefecture, Yuki Miura from Oita Prefecture, Masaaki Sato from Sendai City, Wataru Kaneko from Gunma Prefecture, Masahito Kirihara from Yamanashi Prefecture, Takeshi Matsuzawa from Chiba Prefecture, Mitsutaka Kanazawa from Gunma Prefecture, and Masami Ito from Tsukuba Mirai City in Ibaraki Prefecture.