Web Japan > Trends in Japan > Sci-tech
Leave Your Chores to a Robot
Development of Housekeeping Robots Accelerates
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.
Read more >>Turning Thoughts into Pictures
Innovative Process Recreates Images from Inside the Brain
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.
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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.
Digital Camera Goes 3-D
A Japanese camera maker has developed the world's first compact digital camera featuring a three-dimensional image system that allows three-dimensional still and moving images to be viewed with the naked eye.
Self-cleaning Walls and Windows
Researchers in Japan have developed a method for keeping walls and windows clean without human intervention. The key to these self-cleaning surfaces are photocatalysts, substances that mediate chemical reactions and are activated by light energy.
Biofuels from Nonfood Sources
Bioethanol produced from crops like corn and sugar cane is currently the main biofuel. The problem is that these are food crops, so using them for biofuel risks reducing food stocks. To address this problem, researchers all over Japan are working to develop biofuel made from nonfood plant sources and the inedible parts of food crops.
Making Farmwork Easier
Rice is the staple food of Japan and the nation's most important crop. But the environment surrounding Japanese rice production is changing as the number of people working in agriculture declines. In order to adapt to this new reality, scientists and engineers are working closely to develop rice planters that can function with minimal operation by human.
New Tool Against Food Poisoning
A start-up company in Japan has succeeded in developing an inexpensive miniature device that detects and evaluates substances in solution. One of the applications of the device is the quick detection of food poisoning bacteria, making it a potential life saver in schools and hospitals.
Robot Suit To Enter Mass Production
Japan is a world leader in robotics, and in October 2008 a Japanese company will become the first in the world to begin mass-producing a robot that assists humans in moving their limbs.
Broadening The Led Color Spectrum
Kyoto University and Nichia Corp., which is known for its light-emitting diodes, announced in January 2008 that they had successfully developed a revolutionary LED capable of emitting a variety of colors of light, including white and intermediate colors.
A Safe Way To Protect Crops
In recent years, both consumers and farmers have increasingly turned against the use of chemical pesticides out of awareness and concern about their safety and environmental impact. To address these concerns, Japanese researchers recently developed the world's first pesticides that use lactobacillus bacteria instead of harmful chemicals.
The Science Of Origami
Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. With just one sheet of paper, you can make all kinds of objects, such as cranes, rabbits, turtles, and airplanes. But the possibilities of origami do not end there. There is now research on applying paper-folding techniques to engineering in a field dubbed "origami engineering."
Regenerative Medicine Moves A Step Closer
In a breakthrough that was hailed around the world, a team led by Professor Yamanaka Shinya of the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University has successfully developed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), which have almost the same abilities as embryonic stem cells, from human skin cells.
