Smartphones detecting bad breath and radiation, twistable remote controls and a super-thin tablet computer were just some of the gadgets showcased at Asia’s biggest tech fair in Japan yesterday.
Around 600 firms unveiled their innovations at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CAETEC) technology exhibition in Chiba, near Tokyo, which is expected to draw 200,000 visitors during its five-day run, organizers said.
Japan’s Toshiba showcased what it calls “the world’s thinnest and lightest” tablet computer, equipped with a 10.1-inch display that is just 7.7mm thick and weighs 558g.
Photo: AFP
Electronics parts maker Murata Manufacturing unveiled devices using a newly developed transparent organic film that can deliver instructions via twisting motions or pressure.
One of the devices, a conceptual light-powered plate named Leaf Grip Remote Controller, has no buttons and instead operates by the user bending and twisting it.
Another application of the film is as a touch panel. The “touch pressure pad” responds to finger swipes in the left-right and up-down directions and can also sense how strongly it is pressed, unlike the conventional touch screen glass used on smartphones.
“Currently we give commands two-dimensionally on touch panels in smartphones and tablet computers, but this invention would give us another dimension — how hard they are pressed,” Murata spokesman Kazuhisa Mashita said.
“This could enable users to scroll screens slowly by touching the screen lightly and move images faster by pressing it harder,” he said ahead of the exhibition.
Japanese telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo will showcase a smartphone with changeable “jackets” that measure bad breath, body fat and even radiation levels, while Japanese microchip maker Rohm showcased what it called the world’s tiniest resistors, which are so small that 500,000 of them can be used in an hourglass instead of sand.
Among other high-profile Japanese companies, Hitachi will show off technology that enables the projection of holographic 3D images, instead of relying on special displays. The lifelike images can be viewed from all angles without the need to wear special glasses.
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