High-density, High-intensity
Because this year’s CEATEC JAPAN was held for 4 days instead of five, the overall number of visitors was lower, however the number of visitors each day was 10% higher compared to last year. These numbers were also in line with the impressions of the CEATEC News Center journalists covering the event. This year, as keywords such as IoT, Green, Safety/Security, Health, 3D and Haptics flew around, the heightened density and intensity of the show was palpable compared to last year. Here, we introduce News Center reporter comments about the atmosphere at the exhibition venue.
♦ “ The technique to show off the technology is another field of its own”
Many visitors said the exhibition they most wanted to see this year was the Rohm flying paper crane. Being a simple exhibit that could be enjoyed by everyone, engineers were surprised by it and the international press were entranced. This is obviously terrific technology, but it took the hearts of many as the technique used by the company to present it was just as brilliant as the technology.
I heard some engineers saying that they had been stimulated by Omron’s table tennis robot from last year, and worked hard to lift their game. I’m sure this year’s flying paper crane by Rohm also inspired many exhibitors. I look forward to next year’s exhibits in “technique to show off the technology”. (Reporter A.B)
♦ “I couldn’t compete against the table tennis robot this year”
Being an experienced player, I played the Omron table tennis robot last year and beat it, playing it like a child. Unfortunately this year the queue was too long so I didn’t get to play (laughs). But just by covering the device, I could see the different direction it has advanced from last year. Returning the ball so that a rally can continue is an example of a human and a machine working in harmony together.
Many of the exhibits showed this direction including devices and technologies designed for self-driving applications. The exhibition was not just about functionality and performance, but was also about endeavoring to be gentle and compromise with people. A washing machine that folds T-shirts and a phone that’s in a shape of humanoid robot are some of the examples. Well, this seems to be the phase that machine evolution is entering. (Reporter K.O)
♦ “I felt the enthusiasm of the visitors”
As a cameraman, I had to film a great deal of mostly small, shiny things, not software or solutions and that wasn’t always an easy task. Even then, I really felt the enthusiasm of the exhibitors and the people coming to see the exhibits. I wanted to get that feeling across in my filming. (Cameraman H.N)
♦ “I could hear the countdown to 2020”
Usually things called “smart devices” have loads of great functions but from the design perspective they are often perplexing. However this year, as the name “smart” implies both in functionality and design, I felt that many truly “smart” devices had been brought into being.
Again with the 8K and 10K exhibits, the demos up to last year were terrific, but content of the exhibits was the same thing on repeat. However this year, in addition to broadcast images, content has become dramatically richer. I think the reason for such enhanced content is because commercialization is definitely coming since the countdown to 2020 is beginning to ring out even clearer. Next year I’m sure we will be able to see things that are even more fantastic. (Reporter T.M)
♦ “Dazzling sprouts in the rainforest”
Last year I wrote how just like the metabolism in a rainforest, new buds can be expected where the light shines down on a spot where a large tree has decayed. Energetic exhibitors such as ventures, startups and universities got a lot of attention. I’m happy because just as I predicted those buds are now shining with a deeper green (laughs).
What I thought was, a big exhibition with a history like CEATEC JAPAN offers those kinds of ventures and startups a place to meet with big corporations, and that means cross-breeding takes place.
I thought the Alps Electric/16Lab ring device symbolized this. 16Lab writes firmware from scratch, and has Steve Wozniak-like hardware hackers, but only big companies have the wherewithal to mass produce high-performance, ultra-compact LSI. It was the CEATEC JAPAN 2013 exhibition where 16Lab made the first contact with Alps and embarked on joint development, so in a mere 2 years these companies have managed to produce an innovative and world-class device. It’s this density and intensity of the show that brings about these encounters.
There are most like other stories like that one simmering under the surface that will reveal themselves at CEATCT JAPAN in the coming years. (Reporter M.K)
With the above, we close the CEATEC NEWS CENTER 2015.
We would like to once again express our gratitude to company representatives for their cooperation with the coverage of this event. (Article: MK)
