Digital World Tokyo | Transportation

Noise-canceling tech comes to car interiors

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:37:00 GMT

The principle behind noise-cancelling headphones is as elegant as it is simple - sample the noise to be cancelled out and use small speakers to create an equal, but opposite, sound that effectively erases the problem. Now, Toyota has taken that concept and applied it to one of its high-end hybrid cars to reduce interior noise for the comfort of passengers. The company's 'Active Noise Control' system appears in the new Toyota Crown Hybrid car and reduces the noise inside the vehicle by up to 8dB. It was implemented after the car's engine was found to be noisier than expected as it rotates more slowly for better efficiency. Toyota found that the low-frequency noises given off by the engine were more audible than in other cars with similar equipment under the bonnet and tackled it by first adding three interior microphones to listen in on cabin conditions. Then, it installed three speakers - on the front doors and the rear shelf - to play back the cancelling signals. The car's music system can still be used at the same time, of course. Although describing the system like that is relatively simple, the acoustics inside a car made getting it right a challenge. Unlike headphones, the in-car system has to deal with both direct noise and its echo when it bounces off interior walls. The result is a system that cancels out the engine sounds around head height - right where our ears are, in other words. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Paranoid simpletons welcome all-seeing car nav system

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:48:00 GMT

Come the end of next month, one of the last refuges of escape from the digital onslaught of the modern world will be cruelly ripped from us, when Panasonic's new, fully connected car navigation system goes on sale. The two new Strada F-Class models (confusingly called CN-HX1000D and CN-HW1000D) come with the usual array of gadgets - GPS (of course), DVD and MP3 playback, hard drive, 1-seg mobile digital TV tuner, iPod link and a 7inch Viera screen, but it's the Bluetooth link that tips the balance. Drivers with a Bluetooth mobile phone can order the sat-nav to dial home to check on what's happening there. Panasonic calls this the "From Home to Car�? concept, adding breathlessly that it "effectively turns a car into a second living room.�? With a prod of the screen, the Strada can operate domestic appliances, such as lighting and air conditioners, or can tune into webcams around the house (security check, looking in on the dog?). It can even sent instructions to a home video recorder to get started on taping that rerun of Idol. The new Strada models, which differ only in dashboard configuration, are clearly impressive pieces of kit, but do we really need to be 'always on' to such an extent? Oh, the price? Each Strada will cost ¥355,000 ($3,500) when it goes on sale in June, with a release outside Japan highly unlikely. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Smaller hydrogen pumps mean more fuel-cell cars

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:30:01 GMT

Alternative fuel is all very well, but it's pretty damn hopeless, regardless of good intentions, when all you can get on Main Street is regular gasoline by the liter. Realising the problem of not having a supply infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles in place, Tokyo Gas and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have come up with a much smaller hydrogen pump that should make it simpler to fit out normal gas stations [subscription required]. The new separation devices generate the hydrogen from normal city gas and water vapor using alloy membranes as filters instead of by the older method of purifying hydrogen. This lends itself to equipment that is small enough to go mainstream. Previous attempts managed to get the gear down to the size of a bus, whereas the new pumps are closer in size to a large car and, therefore, far more likely to be adopted. Naturally, the two companies hope that there technique will help fuel suppliers take the plunge, which will, in turn, make consumers more confident about switching to cleaner vehicles. (Crossposted to TechRadar; Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Smaller hydrogen pumps mean more fuel-cell cars

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:30:00 GMT

Alternative fuel is all very well, but it's pretty damn hopeless, regardless of good intentions, when all you can get on the High Street is regular gasoline by the liter. Realising the problem of not having a supply infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles in place, Tokyo Gas and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have come up with a much smaller hydrogen pump that should make it simpler to fit out normal gas stations [subscription required]. The new separation devices generate the hydrogen from normal city gas and water vapor using alloy membranes as filters instead of by the older method of purifying hydrogen. This lends itself to equipment that is small enough to go mainstream. Previous attempts managed to get the gear down to the size of a bus, whereas the new pumps are closer in size to a large car and, therefore, far more likely to be adopted. Naturally, the two companies hope that there technique will help fuel suppliers take the plunge, which will, in turn, make consumers more confident about switching to cleaner vehicles. (Crossposted to TechRadar; Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

E-paper advertising in the wild in Tokyo

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:58:01 GMT

Now that it's all grown up and mature, electronic paper is stating to get out a bit more and enjoy life - its latest sortie sees it appearing on train station ticket gates as a variety of advertising posters. The trial scheme is being conducted - where else? - in Japan by Fujitsu, Hitachi and the marketing arm of the JR East railway company. From Monday, commuters at Ebisu station in central Tokyo will be exposed to the results. The Fujitsu-Hitachi e-paper ads appear at two spots on the automatic ticket barriers in the station, displaying adverts that change every six minutes on a feed from a networked PC. Each can display 512 colors, measures 21 x 10.5cm and has a resolution of 800 x 400 pixels. The wide viewing angle and low power requirements of e-paper - it consumes electricity only when the display changes - seem certain to guarantee it a place in the advertising firmament if the trial goes well, so look out for some animated ads at a station near you soon. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

E-paper advertising in the wild in Tokyo

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:58:01 GMT

Brethalyzer phone keeps watchful eye on Japan’s truck drivers

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:55:00 GMT

Big tech companies like NTT DoCoMo come up with dozens of unusual applications for their gear every year, but most tend to end up consigned to glossy brochures that describe some anodyne 'perfect' future. One bizzaro contraption that is apparently out in the wild is Big D's FOMA-based Videophone Alcohol Check System [scroll down to the bottom]. As the above photo shows, it's in use on at least one truck round these parts. I've no idea how accurate or indeed how useful something like this is, but here's what DoCoMo says about it: The Videophone Alcohol Check System service enables bus and delivery companies to easily monitor drivers in the field at any time. Drivers blow into a breathalyzer connected to a handset and the alcohol concentration is transmitted to a computer at the head office. Inebriated drivers cannot have someone else take the test for them, because the person's identity is confirmed via the videophone's camera as they take the test. Not to spoil their fun or anything, but isn't it all a bit Orwellian?

Brethalyzer phone keeps watchful eye on Japan’s truck drivers

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:55:00 GMT

Airport porter revealed as bag-fondling robot

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:17:00 GMT

If you happen to stop over at Kita Kyushu airport in the southwest of Japan this month, don't be surprised if the porter offering to carry your bags is a four-foot green chap with an oddly metallic voice. RoboPorter is currently being tested at the regional airport by Yaskawa Electric for a few hours each afternoon. As you'll see from the photo gallery over at Japanese site Robot Watch, the machine looks something like a tiny flatbed truck and includes a screen that serves as its human face. Operation is pretty simple - a would-be user simply approaches the robot and tells it orally where to take the bag he's just handed over. There's a touch-screen with a map of the facilities as an alternative. The machine can handle up to 50kg of luggage per trip and can also dispense information about the airport. As the range of destinations is limited to the bus stops or taxi ranks, it's clear this is a work in progress but at least RoboPorter isn't going to hustle arriving tourists for tips or send them to its pal's taxi for a 'special' fare into town. (Crossposted to TechRadar)

Airport porter revealed as bag-fondling robot

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:17:00 GMT

Panasonic’s fender cam for car parking no-hopers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:25:01 GMT

People with stiff necks and particularly short drivers are likely to rejoice when they see the latest car-safety innovation from Panasonic Japan - a rear-view camera and monitor rig. The ¥40,000 ($350) GP-PD107 kit is the first in the world that isn't part of a car sat-nav system and includes a 3.5-inch monitor and quarter-megapixel camera that fixes to the rear fender of any car. Panasonic has implemented a clever activation system that switches on the camera and monitor when the driver slips the car into reverse gear, which is nice for those of us who can't - or can't be bothered - looking over our shoulders. Should that convenience be offset somewhat by the hefty price (installation not included) prospective buyers may be swayed by the system's inputs for hooking up a DVD player or PMP for a little in-car entertainment, presumably available only when driving forward. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Panasonic’s fender cam for car parking no-hopers

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:25:01 GMT

Polaroid mashes DVD player into iPod dock for some reason

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:55:00 GMT

We'd have thought that most people who watch movies and TV shows on their iPods have probably moved on from carrying about portable DVD players as well, but apparently - judging by its latest product - Polaroid Japan missed that meeting. The ¥28,000 ($250) DPJ-08580B goes on sale in Japan next week and mashes a standard DVD player into an 8.5-inch 234 x 480-pixel screen and a dock for 5G iPods, all in a single 1.1kg package. When not using it as a DVD player, it can show video from the iPod, which can take orders from the supplied remote control. The dock space doubles up as a storage bay for the remote when the iPod isn't in use, plus there are two headphone jacks, so at least Polaroid put a little thought into the device. Otherwise, the screen swivels through 180 degrees, a headrest holder is included for clipping the player onto the back of a car seat and the battery stretches to just 150 minutes. At least you don't have to manically wave the thing in the air to see the picture. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Polaroid mashes DVD player into iPod dock for some reason

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:55:00 GMT

Gasoline car converted to run on solar power

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:06:00 GMT

Those clever Japanese scientists have been at it again, working hard to find answers to problems we never knew existed. This time, they've come up with a way to convert dirty old normal cars into clean, green electric vehicles. The breakthrough comes to us courtesy of the Total Mobility Project, a scheme intended to prepare for the rapid aging of Japan's population and led by the local government of Fukushima Prefecture, which lies 300km north of Tokyo. Using a Mazda Roadster as a test bed [Subscription link], the team has succeeded in removing the engine and gas tank and replacing them with an electric motor and battery. After slapping seven solar panels across the hood of the car, they found it able to run for 30km at a top speed of 100km/h. As for cost, the conversion ran to a hefty ¥2.5 million ($21,000), but the bright side is that drivers doing a daily average of 60km can expect to save ¥1 million ($8,400) over five years. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Gasoline car converted to run on solar power

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:06:00 GMT

Japanese Java application uses cellphones to stop perverts

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:03:00 GMT

That fine organ the Mainichi Daily News has word on a cellphone Java application intended to help women discretely ward off the wandering hands (and, presumably, other parts) of the gropers that plague Japan's trains. The 'Anti Groping' application is from a games developer known as Takahashi and is currently in the top 10 of mobile downloads. Users who feel the unwelcome intrusion of the friendly neighborhood pervert but who don't want to make a scene on a crowded train are encouraged to activate the Java app and thrust the phone into the face of the sad freak. Onscreen phrases like "Excuse me, did you just grope me?" "Groping is a crime," and "Shall we head to the police?" are supposed to put an end to the assault. Weird as it may seem, plenty of Japanese people (men are often targeted too) would rather stop the groping quietly than make a fuss - anyone who's been here for more than a few years will have heard first-hand tales of victims who allow the groper to carry on unhindered, as the embarrassment of causing a scene would be too shameful. Having said that, we can't find any trace of Takahashi, nor can we locate the application itself - let us know if you've had any more luck. (Via MDN)

Japanese Java application uses cellphones to stop perverts

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:03:00 GMT

Finger flicking good digital car ignition

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:50:01 GMT

Next time you leave the house to drive to the corner shop just be sure to bring along the one thing Hitachi reckons you'll be using instead of a key to start the car - your index finger. The company's finger-vein biometric technology has been around for a while, most notably in Japanese banks, but the latest attempt to expand the identity-authentication technology goes public this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. Hitachi already has a far simpler system that works as a key to open car doors, but the update, which uses a reader embedded in the steering wheel, goes much further. Aside from acting as an ignition key, each driver's finger can be linked to their own preferences for seat position, mirror angles and so on. Additionally, Hitachi reckons a driver's different fingers could be used to adjust different aspects of the car - middle finger to switch on the GPS, little finger for the air-con and the like. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Finger flicking good digital car ignition

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:50:01 GMT

Sanyo car sat-nav first with full-fledged digital TV tuner

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:32:00 GMT

It would be easy to think that we get off on teasing our readers in the West by featuring Japanese products you'll never get your hands on, but that would be a mistake - we just get a kick out of sharing the latest cutting-edge gadgetry, whatever its provenance. The latest such object of desire is Sanyo's newest car GPS unit, the Gorilla NV-HD880FT, which features the world's first full-range digital terrestrial TV tuner. Like all recent sat-nav installs, the Gorilla comes with a large screen (8 inches) and the ability to play back a range of media, but the TV breakthrough is what really counts. Drivers handing over the hefty sum of ¥225,750 ($1,900) will benefit from the world's smallest digi TV decoder to handle both the mobile 1-seg broadcasts popular in Japan and the 12-seg broadcasts designed for domestic televisions there. The new circuit board measures just 5 x 5 cm, whereas the previous generation was a chunky 11 x 12 cm. While 1-seg is fine, it does offer a lower resolution than the full-fat digital broadcasts, making the Gorilla's ability to switch automatically between the different versions its strongest selling point. That aside, just remember to keep your eyes on the road.

Sanyo car sat-nav first with full-fledged digital TV tuner

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:32:00 GMT

Japanese trains beaming RFID info to passengers on the go

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:17:00 GMT

Those funky little RFID chips embedded in almost all new Japanese phones just learned another trick to add to a growing repertoire that already includes e-cash, train and bus tickets and e-credit cards, with the introduction of a handy new technology from Mitsubishi. On show at CEATEC today, Mitsubishi's reader/writer hardware combines with the IC tags in phones to deliver travel information from JR East, the biggest rail network in the Tokyo area, to train passengers. The difference between the new service and existing internet-based travel news providers is that the information delivered to phones is up-to-date and specific to the very train in which the passenger is riding. Users holding a suitably equipped phone to the RFID terminals located inside train carriages get far more information than they're likely to need. This includes details of where the train stops, arrival times at each station, delays, possible connecting trains and plenty more. Each is hyperlinked to provide even finer details by connecting to a mobile website. Readers in countries where it's difficult to find a train, never mind one that runs on time, are probably sick with envy at this point, so we won't rub it in by adding that the Mitsubishi system even gives details of which way to turn when leaving the carriage to find an exit leading to a particular street, office or massage parlor. (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Japanese trains beaming RFID info to passengers on the go

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:17:00 GMT

Toyota's hydrogen car covers new ground 550 miles of it

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:49:00 GMT

Toyota Japan has word of a major breakthrough for one of its hydrogen-powered research cars that is sure to get plenty of column inches there. The company announced over the weekend that a new version of its fuel-cell-driven Highlander SUV made a 350-mile journey from Japan's second city, Osaka, to Tokyo without needing to be refueled. After refitting an earlier model, Toyota found that the new Highlander could actually manage 550 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. Fuel efficiency was increased by a quarter, while the tank's capacity doubled and the power-control system was also upgraded to perform better. Boy racers worried about having to tolerate no-frills clunkers worthy of pre-1989 Eastern Europe will be reassured to hear that the Highlander kept its air conditioning on throughout the journey and averaged 50mph. Perhaps we can save the planet after all, then, eh? (Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)

Digital World Tokyo | Transportation

Noise-canceling tech comes to car interiors

Paranoid simpletons welcome all-seeing car nav system

Smaller hydrogen pumps mean more fuel-cell cars

Smaller hydrogen pumps mean more fuel-cell cars

E-paper advertising in the wild in Tokyo

E-paper advertising in the wild in Tokyo

Brethalyzer phone keeps watchful eye on Japan’s truck drivers

Brethalyzer phone keeps watchful eye on Japan’s truck drivers

Airport porter revealed as bag-fondling robot

Airport porter revealed as bag-fondling robot

Panasonic’s fender cam for car parking no-hopers

Panasonic’s fender cam for car parking no-hopers

Polaroid mashes DVD player into iPod dock for some reason

Polaroid mashes DVD player into iPod dock for some reason

Gasoline car converted to run on solar power

Gasoline car converted to run on solar power

Japanese Java application uses cellphones to stop perverts

Japanese Java application uses cellphones to stop perverts

Finger flicking good  digital car ignition

Finger flicking good  digital car ignition

Sanyo car sat-nav first with full-fledged digital TV tuner

Sanyo car sat-nav first with full-fledged digital TV tuner

Japanese trains beaming RFID info to passengers on the go

Japanese trains beaming RFID info to passengers on the go

Toyota's hydrogen car covers new ground  550 miles of it

Finger flicking good digital car ignition

Finger flicking good digital car ignition

Toyota's hydrogen car covers new ground 550 miles of it