---
title: "How a Neural Network Runs a Family-Owned Japanese Dry Cleaner"
description: "## Closed Circuit"
date: "2018-11-13"
modified: "2018-11-19"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/japanese-dry-cleaner-neural-network-business"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "ai"
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "machine learning"
  - "the digest"
---

# How a Neural Network Runs a Family-Owned Japanese Dry Cleaner

![As more AI research is shared with the public, more hobbyists are picking it up and building algorithms to help them with everyday life](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/japanese-dry-cleaner-neural-network-business.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Adobe Stock/Hao Wang/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Closed Circuit

In the Japanese city of Tagawa, automation could one day enable dry-cleaning businesses to operate without any employees at all.

At least that’s Daisuke Tahara’s goal, [according to *WIRED*](<https://www.wired.com/story/diy-tinkerers-artificial-intelligence-smart-tech/>). Already the owner of eight dry cleaners, Tahara taught himself the basics of machine learning and used them to build a system that lets customers create a service ticket by laying all their dirty clothes on a table to be scanned by a computer vision system.

## Trickle Down

Tahara’s story is one of [four short profiles](<https://www.wired.com/story/diy-tinkerers-artificial-intelligence-smart-tech/>) published by *WIRED* on Tuesday. The common thread is that each subject decided to tinker around with artificial intelligence, usually teaching themselves to harness an algorithm’s ability to solve an everyday problem or, in Tahara’s case, streamline his family’s business.

[AI giants](<https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence-hype>) have strong incentives to keep all of their developments to themselves. But they often choose to [share some of their research](<https://futurism.com/darpa-stop-deepfakes-facebook-google>) to help foster a stronger research community and, presumably, to boast.

## If you Build it

These glimpses into top AI labs can help the tech-savvy get started with their own AI pet projects.

The most impressive AI developments are still likely to come from those tech giants that have an absurd amount of money to throw at engineers and their labs. But in this era in which most AI research is on new uses for algorithms rather than major breakthroughs, more diversity among those who can build AI will only help the technology move forward.

*This story has been updated to reflect that Tagawa is a city in Japan, not a prefecture.*

**READ MORE:** [THE DIY TINKERERS HARNESSING THE POWER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE](<https://www.wired.com/story/diy-tinkerers-artificial-intelligence-smart-tech/>) \[*WIRED*\]

***More on the AI community:*** ***[An AI Conference Refusing a Name Change Highlights a Tech Industry Problem](<https://futurism.com/ai-conference-lewd-alienating-name>)***

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)