Archive for Hitachi
September 3, 2008 at 6:18 am · Filed under Smart Tech, NTT, Cellphone, Hitachi, Sentient Tech, Marketing, QR Code
Japan’s first field test of “smart posters” using Near Field Communication (NFC) — a short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology that lets users view digital content simply by holding their compatible cellphones near the posters — is being conducted at a Chiba-area shopping mall, it was announced on September 2.
Major phone operator SoftBank Mobile, along with NTT Data, Hitachi and Dutch smart chip maker Gemalto, are testing the technology with WALL-E and Tinker Bell movie posters embedded with NFC tags.
Throughout October, selected test participants will be able to receive and view digital content such as movie stills and trailers simply by holding their NFC-compatible phones (containing NFC-USIM cards) next to the smart posters. Along with the digital content, users also receive an access code that, when transferred to a compatible Hitachi HDTV at home, allows them to view a WALL-E trailer in high definition (via Hitachi’s content distribution service). […]
Original post by Edo
February 19, 2008 at 3:46 pm · Filed under Smart Tech, Biometrics, Hitachi, Sentient Tech, Health
In recent years, Hitachi’s finger vein authentication technology, which identifies individuals by the unique pattern of blood vessels inside their fingers, has helped beef up the security of devices ranging from ATMs and cardless payment systems to computers and automobile ignition systems. Now this biometric technology is heading to the gym.
IT company Fukui Computer has unveiled a new line of networked exercise machines, called “medimo,” that are equipped with Hitachi finger vein readers. When users identify themselves with a simple press of the finger, the machines respond by automatically adjusting the weight resistance and seat position based on the user’s previously set preferences.
The machines also connect to a remote server to retrieve the user’s personal exercise data — including previous exercise records and stats, training regimens and calorie consumption data — which shows up on a touch-screen display. Users can then do their workouts based on this data, […]
Original post by Edo
November 21, 2007 at 8:30 pm · Filed under Hitachi, Robot
Hitachi has unveiled an office worker robot named “EMIEW 2,” which is a lighter, more compact and more sophisticated version of Hitachi’s 1st-generation EMIEW (Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence as Workmate) robot developed in March 2005. The robot was demonstrated on November 21 at the company’s Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, where it was supposed to show off its ability to greet visitors, guide them through the office, retrieve documents and carry drinks. Apparently, however, things did not go as planned.
According to this AP report, the large amount of lunch-break traffic on the research center’s wireless network interrupted EMIEW 2’s communications, causing it to crash into a desk during the demonstration. The robot had to wait until after lunch break to perform its routine.
When operating properly, however, EMIEW 2 can respond to spoken commands, move around on two wheels at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour (4 mph), and […]
Original post by Edo
October 23, 2007 at 4:41 am · Filed under security, Smart Tech, Biometrics, Hitachi, Sentient Tech, Transportation
Over the past few years, Hitachi’s finger vein authentication technology — which identifies individuals based on the unique pattern of blood vessels inside their fingers — has appeared in everything from ATMs and computers to building entrances and cardless payment systems. Hitachi’s latest development puts the biometric security technology inside the car steering wheel and couples it with a system that allows the engine to start only for drivers whose finger vein patterns the vehicle recognizes.
Read the full post (377 words, 1 image)
Original post by Edo
July 24, 2007 at 8:28 pm · Filed under Biometrics, Imaging, Hitachi, Imaging/Display
On July 24, Hitachi announced the development of a biometric cardless credit payment system, called “finger vein money,” which allows shoppers to pay for purchases using only their fingertips. The company plans to begin field testing the finger vein money in September.
Finger vein money relies on Hitachi’s finger vein authentication technology, which verifies a person’s identity by reading the pattern of blood vessels in his or her fingers. These blood vessel patterns are unique to each individual, much like fingerprints or retinas, only they are hidden securely under the skin, making them all the more difficult to counterfeit. Hitachi’s finger vein authentication technology is already being used to verify user identities for ATMs, door access control systems and computer log-in systems in Japan and elsewhere.
In the finger vein money system, consumers first register their finger vein pattern data with the credit card company. The data is then entered into a […]
Original post by Edo
May 23, 2007 at 11:06 am · Filed under Smart Tech, Hitachi, Sentient Tech, Health, Wearable
Hitachi has successfully trial manufactured a lightweight, portable brain scanner that enables users to easily measure their mental activity during the course of daily life. The system, which consists of a 400 gram (14 oz) headset and a 630 gram (1 lb 6 oz) controller worn on the waist, is the result of Hitachi’s efforts to transform the brain scanner into a familiar everyday item that anyone can use.
The rechargeable battery-operated mind reader relies on Hitachi’s so-called “optical topography” technology, which interprets mental activity based on subtle changes in the brain’s blood flow. Because blood flow increases to areas of the brain where neurons are firing (to supply glucose and oxygen to the tissue), changes in hemoglobin concentrations are an important index by which to measure brain activity. To measure these hemoglobin concentrations in real time, eight small surface-emitting lasers embedded in the headset fire harmless near-infrared rays into the […]
Original post by Edo
February 14, 2007 at 10:26 am · Filed under RFID, Hitachi, Miniaturization
Hitachi’s new RFID chips (pictured on right, next to a human hair) are 64 times smaller than their mu-chips (left)
RFID keeps getting smaller. On February 13, Hitachi unveiled a tiny, new “powder” type RFID chip measuring 0.05 x 0.05 mm — the smallest yet — which they aim to begin marketing in 2 to 3 years.
By relying on semiconductor miniaturization technology and using electron beams to write data on the chip substrates, Hitachi was able to create RFID chips 64 times smaller than their currently available 0.4 x 0.4 mm mu-chips. Like mu-chips, which have been used as an anti-counterfeit measure in admission tickets, the new chips have a 128-bit ROM for storing a unique 38-digit ID number.
The new chips are also 9 times smaller than the prototype chips Hitachi unveiled last year, which measure 0.15 x 0.15 mm.
At 5 microns thick, the RFID chips can more easily be embedded in sheets of paper, meaning they can be used in paper currency, gift certificates and identification. But since existing tags are already small enough to embed in paper, it leads one to wonder what new applications the developers have in mind.
[Source: Fuji Sankei]
Original post by Edo
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