Personally thinks that this design is quite innovative in the way of applying existing design structure and mechanic to form new designs for the greater use such as building temporary bridges.
Most of the news agencies have provided the similar information that constructed by the university and BBC. It is a great design that focused on the issue that most designer might ignore.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150722081121.htm
http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/news/show/lang/en/id/1909/dir_id/0
http://www.popsci.com/best-of-whats-new-2015/engineering
http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/news/show/lang/en/id/1785/dir_id/0
This temporary bridge has filled the gap in the field of emergency responses that is focused more on the environment rather than humans. As far as the focus on the issue that tend to solve, the competition with other products might not be that obvious.
Since the article reported that this is the fourth edition of the design, most of the problems are solved during the refurbishment of product. So there are not many problems with the design as they tested with the publics. But they plan to make the bridge “stronger, longer, lighter, more compact and quicker to set up”.
This design not yet implemented to any case in the report, but from the tests they did with the fields, the design is said to be successful in its aim and application.