The event began with a typhoon and the launch of a satellite
Typhoon Phanfone (the 18th typhoon of the 2014 season) struck the Kanto region the day before the scheduled start, putting paid to the press conference and lending a dramatic backdrop of high winds and roaring seas to the official opening of CEATEC JAPAN 2014. However, on Tuesday October 7th – with the typhoon having passed – we saw beautiful blue skies as the curtain rose on this year’s event.
A little after 2pm on October 7th the meteorological satellite HIMAWARI 8 was successfully launched into orbit. The spirit of CEATEC JAPAN in 2014 was epitomized by the booths at the event from companies involved in space exploration – not just the major electronics manufacturers who are involved in satellite construction – but also the small satellite venture firms and the satellite photographic service providers, etc.
The Nobel Prize: A Rush of Euphoria
During the opening session, which was held at the Hotel New Otani Makuhari in the presence of VIP guests (see CEATEC NEWS Vol. 023), the news of the laureates for the Nobel Prize for Physics filtered through the guests that had gathered in the auditorium.
“ICT can address the issues and challenges that the world faces today. ICT can help deliver a safe, comfortable society and peace of mind for all.” – Norio Sasaki, Chairman of the CEATEC JAPAN Executive Committee.
“The Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be held in Tokyo in 2020 will be an important opportunity to showcase the country’s strength in technology and project planning. I want to take this opportunity to promote cutting-edge global ICT across our society as a whole.” – Tsunesaburo Nishime, State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.
“In order to address the challenges that face us head-on, we need to reinvigorate the Japanese economy.” – Daishiro Yamagiwa, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics is a clear example of the practical innovations that the three commentators above – all quoted at CEATEC JAPAN 2014 – are referring to in terms of what is needed to address the issues that face us as a society, as well as what is required to kick-start the Japanese economy. Yasunori Nakamura, the brother of Shuji Nakamura – one of the recipients, is the President and CEO of F.A. System Engineering Co., Ltd. (head office: Matsuyama City) and Mr. Nakamura was present at CEATEC JAPAN 2014 in order to showcase his company’s 3D medical imaging system visible to the naked eye. Mr. Nakamura was soon surrounded by the press wanting his comments regarding his brother’s exciting news.
Robotics and Mobility – two sectors that are garnering a lot of attention
In the past few years, if you had to pick a couple of fields where there has been a constant buzz at CEATEC JAPAN, you would choose Robotics and Mobility, with Energy and Devices not far behind. The demonstrations at the booths on the robotics side always draw a crowd and this year we had demo models of communication robots as well as health robots.
In the field of mobility, the telematics service using ICT technology and the automated motion system were showcased at CEATEC JAPAN 2014. The next-generation wheelchair was featured in the field of personal mobility and at that booth everyone – actual wheelchair users as well as the able-bodied – were welcome to try out the new chair design. The future of robotics-controlled and -enhanced mobility looks bright indeed.
Energy and Devices are two sides of the same coin
In the field of energy, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at CEATEC JAPAN 2014 went to NEC for their advancements in energy cloud technology. This is a system that can bring the equivalent of one million batteries for household devices under centralized control, so that the frequency and load can be managed in order to create what they are calling a “Virtual Battery”. Another company, Kyocera, has developed a photovoltaic power generator capable of power variation, an essential part of any energy solution going forward. The generator has received exceedingly positive feedback since its debut. Looking to the future, technology such as the “Virtual Battery” will be a key part of any renewable energy strategy in the home going forward.
Where mobility and energy meet is in innovative technology such as the Honda Hydrogen Fuel Station, where the track record speaks for itself. The countdown to the official unveiling of the Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle is attracting a lot of attention.
On the other hand, device technology is supporting the burgeoning energy revolution from another direction. The winners of the semi-grand prix in the Green Innovation category of the CEATEC AWARDS 2014 was the Vibration Power Generator by OMRON and Nippon Chemi-Con Corp. for their fast-charging electric double layer capacitor technology, which charges when the vehicle is decelerating. These stories tell us that our energy challenges will need to be addressed by technological solutions on the micro- and nano-scale. Also we cannot overlook wireless electrical power supply, which is also an energy issue of sorts. Resolving these issues is an essential step and will lead to the birth of new, innovative devices.
CEATEC NEWS CENTER – from the Reporter’s Viewpoint
CEATEC NEWS CENTER undertakes reporting of events at CEATEC JAPAN, as well as interviewing the exhibitors, etc. Here we look back on the comments of our reports over the 5 days of CEATEC JAPAN 2014.
Component manufacturers are intent on making an impression
“Since auto makers have been exhibiting at CEATEC JAPAN (from 2012 onwards) I feel that the number of companies manufacturing devices that have been inspired to attain greater technological achievement has in itself grown. This is because automakers insist on the highest quality and reliability standards when it comes to the devices that go in their vehicles, and this has lifted the whole industry. The track record speaks for itself in this regard. I can see that the component manufacturers and the device companies are really striving to achieve something special.” – Reporter AT
“This year we saw companies in really niche fields, such as LSI design and manufacturing, exhibiting at CEATEC JAPAN. In terms of reporting, it was difficult to understand the advanced technologies on show, but it was heartening to see that Japanese manufacturers are responding to the pressure that European and US companies are bringing to bear in these sectors, and I felt that our whole economy may well end up being revived by a recovery triggered by one of these companies working in an industry that we are not so familiar with.” – Reporter MS
Appreciating the distance between humans and machines
“I felt that this year companies had been working on finding just the right balance – you can call it the right distance – between man and machine. This was my impression from seeing the number of smart glass innovations and applications were on show (see CEATEC NEWS Vol. 016) as well as healthcare-related devices (see CEATEC NEWS Vol. 014).” – Reporter N
How you exhibit these technologies is also important
“This year my feeling was that CEATEC JAPAN, in a variety of ways, focused on IoT (the Internet of Things), and in many cases – be it dinosaurs or table tennis – how you showcased your innovation was as important as the technology itself. “How does this work?” was the start point for many a voyage of discovery, which led to a deeper understanding and appreciation. I think many exhibitors were able to drum up plenty of excitement and desire for their devices in this way.” – Reporter AG
“I was an enthusiastic table tennis player in my youth, so played the game seriously against the ping pong playing robot and beaten it in the end! < laughs >” – Reporter MS
Connecting the tropical rain forest to the future
“Looking at the event space from above, the glitzy, brightly-lit booths and exhibits were lined up next to each other, and for some reason it brought to mind the image of a tropical rain forest. From major corporate manufacturers through to enterprises backed by venture capital, small businesses and university research centers, all of these organizations were represented at CEATEC JAPAN. If the huge trees are present and correct, then the smaller branches, twigs, small grasses and shrubs and even the little birds and insects will also be there and hopefully thriving. This combination of entities is the ecology of the industry and that is what I was viewing from my lofty perch. Prior to the event, there was some reporting about major manufacturers who had chosen not to attend or exhibit at CEATEC JAPAN 2014. By as in the natural world, when a large tree disappears, the light that can then reach the forest floor nurtures new shoots of growth. With the news of the Nobel Prize awarded to the developers of the blue LED, one is reminded that this particular project was at first a pure research topic, which then developed into a research project looking at practical applications. It was taken all the way through to the product level and all of this happened in Japan – a rare case indeed. I would go so far as to say that the reason we have such a variety of products in our markets is because of this varied corporate ecosystem. CEATEC JAPAN 2014 reaffirmed my conviction that this ecosystem is essential to maintaining the vitality and integrity of Japan’s industrial base.” – Reporter MK
This report brings the curtain down on the CEATEC NEWS CENTER 2014.
We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all of the companies that cooperated with our requests for reporting at CEATEC JAPAN 2014. (article by MK)
