Pioneer and TDK Corp are the leading developers in this field according to Namiki, while last week, Sanyo Electric Co Ltd and US photographic equipment giant Eastman Kodak Co announced their own joint venture to produce similar screens.
Full-scale production of a glass-plated version of Pioneer's Yuki EL is due to begin next year, but the model using a plastic film screen is still another three to five years away.
For now, the screen fitted in one of Sone's coats only has the memory to show a video lasting about three minutes on the screen integrated into the garment. Harasawa though already sees a day when entire computers will no longer need to be carried around, but accessed remotely from the technology embedded in the garments.
"With media fashion ... you only need a display, some earphones, microphone, maybe a keyboard, a GPS [global positioning satellite] receiver or a tuner that can all be integrated in the clothes," he said.
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