Sci-tech | Trends in Japan

Text:
small
normal
large

Water Purification on the Go

Mobile Desalination Unit Offers Hope to Disaster-Hit Regions
Water shortages are a growing problem around the world, especially in developing countries. Now a Japanese team has developed Courier Water, a mobile desalination unit that has tremendous potential for helping people in areas affected by water shortages or natural disasters.

Cuddly Robot Comforts the Elderly

Baby Seal Soothes Stress and Increases Motivation
A robotic baby seal born in Japan is bathing in the international spotlight, particularly in Denmark, where it is set to come into widespread use as a companion for residents of nursing homes. Paro can recognize people's names and responds with seal-like sounds when stroked or spoken to.

Toward a Solar Future

Solar cells are among the most promising power generation devices of the future. A Japanese research team has achieved success in the field of organic thin-film solar cells. Toray, a major chemical company, has achieved the world's highest conversion efficiency with an organic thin-film solar cell.

Robots Can Now Bat, Smile, and Chat

Japan possesses some of the world's most advanced robotics technology. Recently, attention has focused on robots with a high level of learning ability and robots whose human appearance and facial expressions make them more approachable.

Leave Your Chores to a Robot

Researchers at the University of Tokyo are integrating information technology and robotics to develop robots that can perform household chores. Their work on the Information and Robot Technology Research Initiative, or IRT, has already resulted in public demonstrations by some housekeeping robots.

Turning Thoughts into Pictures

A group of Japanese researchers led by the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) has developed the world's first procedure for recreating images processed by the human eye based on analysis of blood flow inside the brain.

Fibers of the Future

The world's first silks exhibiting fluorescence and other pioneering properties have been successfully developed as a result of transgenic silkworm research conducted by Japanese researchers. The functional fibers are expected to have wide-ranging applications.

Page Top