Abstract
Japan’s centralized water infrastructure faces critical challenges, including a declining population, aging facilities, and the impacts of climate change, necessitating a paradigm shift towards decentralized, off–grid systems like Point of Use (POU). This paper presents three innovative membrane–based technologies designed to construct a next–generation, sustainable water infrastructure. First, we have developed a water quality visualization technology using a smartphone application that allows citizens to easily and accurately assess water conditions (e.g., pH) from test strips. Second, an autonomous membrane filtration system has been created, which utilizes fluorescence sensors to monitor membrane fouling in real–time and automatically optimize cleaning processes, significantly improving operational efficiency and reducing chemical consumption. Third, we propose a “4D design and production” scheme for membranes, which integrates virtual design and simulation with on–demand manufacturing using 3D printing, enabling rapid development and production of membranes tailored to specific needs. The integration of these technologies– visualization for user trust, autonomous control for maintenance–free operation, and 4D production for flexibility– will pave the way for a resilient and sustainable water–circulating society, transforming the challenges of a depopulating era into opportunities for innovation.
