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Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra Human Body Surface Transmits Electronical Data Embassy of Switzerland in Japan State Secretariat for Education and Research SER (March 05, 2009) Hitachi Ltd, Miwa Lock Co Ltd and NTT Communications Corp have jointly developed an access control system using "RedTacton," a human body communication technology that transmits data via the surface of a human body. The system consists of parts including Red- Tacton-based card keys and antenna-integrated doorknobs and floors. When a person carrying a RedTacton-based card key grabs the doorknob or walks on the floor and unconsciously contacts the antenna housed in them, the system will identify and authenticate the individual. By setting up antenna-integrated authentication points on the main traffic line in a building, users can monitor people. Optical Transmission Fibers For Flexible Screen Sizes (March 06, 2009) IDEC Corp developed the "Fiber Beam," a rear-projection display that uses resin optical fibers as transmission media. Because the display screen was modularized, screen size can be flexibly changed. For example, a 150-inch screen can be created by using four 75-inch modules. The new screen was jointly developed by IDEC, the Industrial Technology Center of Fukui Prefecture and Tsuya Fabric Co Ltd. It was woven by using 22dtex/1f* polyester fibers as warp and OPFs (Optical Plastic Fiber) of 0.25mm in diameter as woof. Utilizing Tsuya Fabric's weaving technology; they succeeded in producing high-density webbing with limited damages to the OPFs. Mimics Remote-Controlling Electric Devices A wink, a smile or a raised eyebrow could soon change the music on your iPod or start up the washing machine, thanks to a new Japanese gadget. The device looks like a normal set of headphones but is fitted with a set of infrared sensors that measure tiny movements inside the ear that result from different facial expressions. The gizmo - called the “Mimi Switch” or “Ear Switch” - is connected to a micro-computer that can control electronic devices, essentially making it a hands-free remote control for anything. The Mimi Switch could also store and interpret data and get to know its user. (March 07, 2009) Shinkansen Train Offers Wireless LAN Services (March 10, 2009) Passengers on some Shinkansen bullet trains will be able to access the Internet via wireless local area networks being launched separately by four major telecommunications firms, including NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Softbank Telecom Corp. The services will be available on N700 series Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka. The other two firms providing such services are NTT Communications Corp. and UQ Communications Inc. Highspeed data transmissions of up to 2 megabits per second will be possible even when the trains are running at full speed and through tunnels. Mobile stations on the trains will send and receive signals 3-D Touch Panel For Small Screens Mitsubishi Electric Corp prototyped a capacitive touch panel that can detect the distance between a finger and the panel. Mitsubishi Electric calls the touch panel "3D touch panel" because it can determine not only the x- and y- coordinates of a finger but also its z- coordinate. The prototype has a 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (VGA). The prototype is intended for use in mobile devices with a small touch panel. The prototype can detect the distance of an approaching finger while using ITO transparent electrodes. (March 11, 2009) 3-D Illusion In Cube Display (March 13, 2009) The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology has developed a cube-shaped display that enables 3-D images to be viewed from any angle. Each face of the 950-gram device is 10cm 2 . Special 3.5-inch high-resolution LCD panels are attached to the six faces -- and over these, numerous small lenses are arranged, with the scattering of light from the lenses giving the appearance of a 3-D object being inside the box without the viewer needing to wear special glasses. The shape of the lenses has been carefully engineered to give a viewing angle of around 120°, enabling the display to appear three-dimensional when viewed from any direction. Science & Technology News from Japan, Template 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 8 of 28
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra Embassy of Switzerland in Japan State Secretariat for Education and Research SER High Efficient Transmitter Amplifiers For Mobile Base Stations (March 13, 2009) NEC Corp has developed what it claims is one of the world's most efficient transmitter amplifiers for mobile base stations, a 2.1GHz model that produces 45W of output power per 100W of power consumption. These amplifiers are produced by adopting high performance and highly reliable RF transistor technologies, in addition to independently optimizing Doherty RF circuitry with harmonic tuning. These innovations are accredited with NEC's successful creation of amplifiers with what it said is one of the world's highest efficiency levels of 45%. Mobile base stations fitted with the transmitter amplifiers are expected to be smaller and to consume less power than existing equipment. Remote Control Finger Ring (March 15, 2009) A "magic ring" that wearers can use to remotely operate electrical devices, such as signaling a car to open its doors, has been developed by a research laboratory run by Denso Corp. The ring, which emits a faint electric signal when a wearer brings his or her forefinger and thumb into contact, also can be used to operate a portable music player contained in a bag or pocket on a crowded train, among other uses. The ring, named "Yubi-nya," features the face of a cat and measures about three centimeters across and two centimeters thick. Bendable, Unbreakable Plastic Optical Fiber For Household Consumer Electronics (March 17, 2009) Asahi Glass Co. has developed an unbreakable plastic optical fiber for household consumer electronics. Based on a fluororesin material and made with a double-clad structure, the plastic fiber can be bent and even knotted without breaking and without leaking the light signals. Plastic optical fiber cannot carry light as far its glass counterpart. The amount of data sent between consumer products such as televisions, audio systems and computer peripherals will eventually become so voluminous that today's copper cables will give way to optical cables. R&D For Accurate Sound Reproduction Technology (March 17, 2009) Toshiba Corp developed a new technology to accurately reproduce sound by using an auxiliary speaker in collaboration with the Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering, and Actimo Ltd. The technology uses sound from an auxiliary speaker to eliminate noise (sound other than the original sound) generated from the main speaker. Toshiba confirmed that non-original sound can be eliminated by more than 90% in an experiment using equipment incorporating this technology. The company plans to conduct research and development for introducing this technology in its products. Micro LED Projector As Car Equipment (March 18, 2009) Castrade Co Ltd will release an ultra compact projector with an LED light source. Castrade plans to take advantage of its expertise as a distributor of automotive audio-visual equipment and monitors to market the micro-projector for use in automobiles. Dedicated accessories will be released to promote its use in vehicles. The projector employs LCOS as its display element. It features 640 x 480 pixels with a panel size of 0.44 inches. The luminance is 10lm, and the maximum power consumption is about 10W. With a built-in secondary battery, the projector can be operated for about one hour. The outer dimensions are 115 x 50 x 23mm, and the weight is 160g. 10Gbps Video Transmission System For FTTH (March 19, 2009) Hitachi Ltd developed a 10Gbps video transmission system intended for FTTH. It conforms to the "10G-EPON" standard specified by IEEE802.3av. The specifications of the 10G-EPON are still being discussed. The video transmission system was developed based on those technological specifications. When 32 optical transmission devices are connected on the user side at a communication distance of 20km, the communication quality has a bit error rate of 10-12. The key to the development was the transimpedance amplifier (TIA), which is used on the OLT side. Tie-Up To Produce Smallest Bluetooth Module (March 20, 2009) CSR plc is working with Taiyo Yuden to produce a range of connectivity modules specifically targeted at small devices. CSR's connectivity center product, CSR9000, will combine with Taiyo Yuden's EOMIN module technology to produce what they claim is the industry's smallest Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS modules. The CSR9000 supports a long list of connectivity technologies including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n), GPS, Bluetooth low energy Science & Technology News from Japan, Template 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 9 of 28
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