Ciencia: Ahora tu puedes cosechar la señal WiFi para encender pequeños aparatos electrónicos.

El avance de la investigación fue logrado por un equipo dirigido por el profesor Yang Hyunsoo (izquierda). El Dr. Raghav Sharma (derecha), el primer autor del artículo, sostiene un chip incrustado con aproximadamente 50 osciladores de par de giro.

Los ingenieros de NUS cosechan señales WiFi para alimentar pequeños dispositivos electrónicos.

 

Con el auge de la era digital, la cantidad de fuentes WiFi para transmitir información de forma inalámbrica entre dispositivos ha crecido exponencialmente. Esto da como resultado el uso generalizado de la frecuencia de radio de 2.4GHz que usa WiFi, con un exceso de señales disponibles para ser aprovechadas para usos alternativos.

Para aprovechar esta fuente de energía infrautilizada, un equipo de investigación de la Universidad Nacional de Singapur (NUS) y la Universidad Tohoku de Japón (TU) ha desarrollado una tecnología que utiliza diminutos dispositivos inteligentes conocidos como osciladores de par de giro (STO) para cosechar y Convierta las frecuencias de radio inalámbricas en energía para alimentar pequeños dispositivos electrónicos. En su estudio, los investigadores habían cosechado energía con éxito utilizando señales de banda WiFi para alimentar un diodo emisor de luz (LED) de forma inalámbrica y sin usar ninguna batería.

“Estamos rodeados de señales WiFi, pero cuando no las usamos para acceder a Internet, están inactivas y esto es un gran desperdicio. Nuestro último resultado es un paso hacia la conversión de las ondas de radio de 2,4 GHz fácilmente disponibles en una fuente de energía ecológica, reduciendo así la necesidad de baterías para alimentar los dispositivos electrónicos que utilizamos con regularidad. 

De esta manera, los pequeños dispositivos y sensores eléctricos se pueden alimentar de forma inalámbrica mediante el uso de ondas de radiofrecuencia como parte del Internet de las cosas. Con el advenimiento de las ciudades y hogares inteligentes, nuestro trabajo podría dar lugar a aplicaciones energéticamente eficientes en comunicaciones, computación y sistemas neuromórficos ”, dijo el profesor Yang Hyunsoo del  Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica e Informática de NUS , quien encabezó el proyecto.

La investigación se llevó a cabo en colaboración con el equipo de investigación del profesor Guo Yong Xin, que también es del Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica e Informática de NUS, así como con el profesor Shunsuke Fukami y su equipo de TU.  Los resultados se publicaron en  Nature Communications  el 18 de mayo de 2021.

Conversión de señales WiFi en energía utilizable

Los osciladores de par de giro son una clase de dispositivos emergentes que generan microondas y tienen aplicaciones en sistemas de comunicación inalámbrica.  Sin embargo, la aplicación de STO se ve obstaculizada debido a la baja potencia de salida y al amplio ancho de línea.

Si bien la sincronización mutua  de múltiples STO es una forma de superar este problema, los esquemas actuales, como el acoplamiento magnético de corto alcance entre múltiples STO, tienen restricciones espaciales. Por otro lado, la sincronización eléctrica de largo alcance que utiliza osciladores de vórtice está limitada en respuestas de frecuencia de solo unos pocos cientos de MHz. También requiere fuentes de corriente dedicadas para las STO individuales, lo que puede complicar la implementación general en el chip.

Para superar las limitaciones espaciales y de baja frecuencia, el equipo de investigación ideó una matriz en la que ocho STO están conectados en serie. Usando esta matriz, las ondas de radio electromagnéticas de 2.4 GHz que usa WiFi se convirtieron en una señal de voltaje directo, que luego se transmitió a un capacitor para iluminar un LED de 1.6 voltios. Cuando el condensador se cargó durante cinco segundos, pudo  iluminar el mismo LED durante un minuto después de que se apagó la alimentación inalámbrica.

En su estudio, los investigadores también destacaron la importancia de la topología eléctrica para diseñar sistemas STO en chip y compararon el diseño en serie con el paralelo.  Descubrieron que la configuración en paralelo es más útil para la transmisión inalámbrica debido a una mejor estabilidad en el dominio del tiempo, comportamiento del ruido espectral y control sobre la falta de coincidencia de impedancia. Por otro lado, las conexiones en serie tienen una ventaja para la recolección de energía debido al efecto aditivo del voltaje de diodo de los STO .

Al comentar sobre la importancia de sus resultados, el  Dr. Raghav Sharma, el primer autor del artículo,  compartió: “Además de crear una matriz STO para transmisión inalámbrica y recolección de energía, nuestro trabajo también demostró control sobre el estado de sincronización de las STO acopladas utilizando bloqueo de inyección desde una fuente de radiofrecuencia externa.  Estos resultados son importantes para posibles aplicaciones de STO sincronizadas, como la computación neuromórfica de alta velocidad ".

Próximos pasos

Para mejorar la capacidad de recolección de energía de su tecnología, los investigadores buscan aumentar la cantidad de STO en la matriz que habían diseñado. Además, planean probar sus recolectores de energía para cargar de forma inalámbrica otros dispositivos electrónicos y sensores útiles.

El equipo de investigación también espera trabajar con socios de la industria para explorar el desarrollo de STO en chip para sistemas inteligentes autosostenidos, lo que puede abrir posibilidades para la carga inalámbrica y los sistemas de detección de señal inalámbrica.

Original en Inglés: WWTS

  

Science: Now you can harvest the WiFi signal to power small electronics.

 

The research breakthrough was achieved by a team led by Professor Yang Hyunsoo (left). Dr Raghav Sharma (right), the first author of the paper, is holding a chip embedded with about 50 spin-torque oscillators.

NUS engineers harvest WiFi signals to power small electronics.

With the rise of the digital age, the amount of WiFi sources to transmit information wirelessly between devices has grown exponentially. This results in the widespread use of the 2.4GHz radio frequency that WiFi uses, with excess signals available to be tapped for alternative uses.

To harness this under-utilized source of energy, a research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Japan’s Tohoku University (TU) has developed a technology that uses tiny smart devices known as spin-torque oscillators (STOs) to harvest and convert wireless radio frequencies into energy to power small electronics. In their study, the researchers had successfully harvested energy using WiFi-band signals to power a light-emitting diode (LED) wirelessly, and without using any battery.

“We are surrounded by WiFi signals, but when we are not using them to access the Internet, they are inactive, and this is a huge waste. Our latest result is a step towards turning readily available 2.4GHz radio waves into a green source of energy, hence reducing the need for batteries to power electronics that we use regularly. In this way, small electric gadgets and sensors can be powered wirelessly by using radiofrequency waves as part of the Internet of Things. With the advent of smart homes and cities, our work could give rise to energy-efficient applications in communication, computing, and neuromorphic systems,” said Professor Yang Hyunsoo from the NUS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who spearheaded the project.

The research was carried out in collaboration with the research team of Professor Guo Yong Xin, who is also from the NUS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as Professor Shunsuke Fukami and his team from TU. The results were published in Nature Communications on 18 May 2021.

Converting WiFi signals into usable energy

Spin-torque oscillators are a class of emerging devices that generate microwaves and have applications in wireless communication systems. However, the application of STOs is hindered due to low output power and broad linewidth.

While mutual synchronization of multiple STOs is a way to overcome this problem, current schemes, such as short-range magnetic coupling between multiple STOs, have spatial restrictions. On the other hand, long-range electrical synchronisation using vortex oscillators is limited in frequency responses of only a few hundred MHz. It also requires dedicated current sources for the individual STOs, which can complicate the overall on-chip implementation.

To overcome the spatial and low-frequency limitations, the research team came up with an array in which eight STOs are connected in series. Using this array, the 2.4 GHz electromagnetic radio waves that WiFi uses were converted into a direct voltage signal, which was then transmitted to a capacitor to light up a 1.6-volt LED. When the capacitor was charged for five seconds, it was able to light up the same LED for one minute after the wireless power was switched off.

In their study, the researchers also highlighted the importance of electrical topology for designing on-chip STO systems and compared the series design with the parallel one. They found that the parallel configuration is more useful for wireless transmission due to better time-domain stability, spectral noise behavior, and control over impedance mismatch. On the other hand, series connections have an advantage for energy harvesting due to the additive effect of the diode-voltage from STOs.

Commenting on the significance of their results, Dr Raghav Sharma, the first author of the paper, shared, “Aside from coming up with an STO array for wireless transmission and energy harvesting, our work also demonstrated control over the synchronizing state of coupled STOs using injection locking from an external radio-frequency source. These results are important for prospective applications of synchronized STOs, such as fast-speed neuromorphic computing.”

Next steps

To enhance the energy harvesting ability of their technology, the researchers are looking to increase the number of STOs in the array they had designed. In addition, they are planning to test their energy harvesters for wirelessly charging other useful electronic devices and sensors.

The research team also hopes to work with industry partners to explore the development of on-chip STOs for self-sustained smart systems, which can open up possibilities for wireless charging and wireless signal detection systems.

Japan: Two small robotic rovers landed on the asteroid Ryugu.

Imaging Ryugu from an altitude of 6km

Two small robotic rovers that had been released from Japan's space probe Hayabusa2 successfully landed on the asteroid Ryugu, Japan's space agency said Saturday.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) released images taken by the two MINERVA-II-1 rovers on the asteroid, which is about 300 million km from Earth.

The rovers are also to perform functions such as measuring the surface temperature on the asteroid ahead of the planned landing of the probe on the asteroid in late October.

Each rover is about 18 centimeters in diameter, 7 cm in height and weighs around 1 kg. They have been designed to "hop" along the surface of the asteroid as its low gravity would complicate the traditional way of robotic explorers rolling on wheels or tracks.

Hayabusa2 reached its intended destination on June 27 near the asteroid, after traveling for more than three years, JAXA said.

According to the agency, the 600-kg Hayabusa2, which was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan in December 2014, has experienced no problems throughout its journey totaling 3.2 billion km.

The agency said that in total, Hayabusa2 is scheduled to make three landings on the asteroid and collect rock samples and will stay close to Ryugu for one and a half years.

During this time it will, according to JAXA, conduct a number of exploratory activities in an attempt to try to find clues about the solar systems evolution and the beginning of life itself.

Hayabusa2's mission will be completed when it returns to earth in 2020 with the samples of rocks it has collected from Ryugu, which is thought to contain water and other materials that could possibly support life.

In 2005, Hayabusa2's predecessor failed to land an explorer robot on the asteroid Itokawa.

jaxa

Aeon will open unmanned credit card counters at Aeon Mall, deploying Pepper humanoids robots.

Pepper will help with the paperwork.

Aeon will open unmanned credit card counters at Aeon Mall-operated shopping centers and Aeon Bank branches, tapping the power of robots and artificial intelligence.

By deploying the Pepper humanoid robot to help people with the paperwork and IBM's Watson-based artificial intelligence system to answer questions, the Japanese retail giant is looking to keep the counters open longer hours. The company aims to reassign freed-up staff for related tasks like promoting credit cards to people visiting the malls and bank branches.

Group subsidiary Aeon Financial Service is to quickly roll out 30 or more Pepper robots. Linked to tablet computers for entering personal information, the Pepper robot will be able to interact with three customers at a time, explaining the procedures for entering information, catching mistakes and helping to complete the process without any staff assistance. This will be the first use of Pepper in this context in Japan.

The Watson AI system will provide answers to some 700-800 simple questions related to credit cards, helping to keep the counters running smoothly and free of congestion. Aeon Financial plans to install 100 terminals linked with the AI system over the next three years.

As a first step, an automated credit card application counter will be opened at an Aeon Mall facility in the city of Chiba in mid-June.

Punctureless tires for bicycles ready for 2019 says Bridgestone Cycle from Japan.

Bridgestone Cycle announces punctureless bicycle tires.

Air-free design uses plastic spokes to absorb impact and enhance looks

Bridgestone Cycle's new bicycle tire uses plastic spokes to absorb impact rather than the air-filled tube of traditional tires. 

Bridgestone Cycle could have cyclists walking on air with the announcement of its punctureless tires. Developed jointly with parent company Bridgestone, the new bicycle tire does not need air, thus never punctures.

The Japanese bicycle maker said the nonpneumatic tire employs an "air-free concept" that Bridgestone has been developing for automobiles.

The company plans to start commercial production of the tires by 2019 after developing bicycles that can use them.

The air-free tire has a unique spoke structure that serves as a cushion, eliminating the need for inflated tubes used in traditional pneumatic tires. The wavy, flexible plastic spokes are designed to absorb impact and vibration from the ground.

Thanks to the use of plastic, which can be easily produced in different shapes and colors, the new tire also creates endless design possibilities, the company said. The company is also considering the use of different color spokes in front and rear tires.

Bridgestone Cycle plans to invite the public to try out the tires at events hosted by Bridegestone. One event took place in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka on April 30 and another will be in Yokohama on June 4. Feedback from users will help the company tweak development of the tire before its official release, the company said.

The new Japanese maglev became the fastest train in the world.

The new Japanese maglev became the fastest train in the world after traveling at 374 miles per hour (603 kilometers per hour) on a test run near Mount Fuji last year, breaking its own world record of 366 miles per hour (590 km per hour), set the previous week.

Maglev trains -- already operating at slower speeds in Shanghai and Changsha, in China, and Incheon, in South Korea -- use magnetic repulsion both to levitate the train up from the ground, which reduces friction, and to propel it forward. It is perhaps Japan's boldest rail innovation yet.

The Chuo Shinkansen maglev line will link Tokyo to the southern city of Nagoya in 40 minutes -- arguably making the maglev faster than flying, given the time it takes to get through an airport. There are plans to later extend the line to Osaka.

The 16-carriage train will be able to shuttle 1,000 passengers along the 177 mile (286 km) track.

Tomoaki Seki, a manager at the Central Japan Railway Company, which is developing the maglev line, says the company has been testing the technology since 1997.

With a world record to its name, the maglev -- although not operational until 2027 -- heralds a new era in Japanese engineering.

The 2020 Olympics provide the perfect chance to highlight this achievement to the world.

It could have economic consequences, too. Japan is looking to sell the technology to the United States, Seki says.

"Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is a big fan of this project. He's proposing a route from Washington to New York, [at a speed] equivalent to Tokyo to Nagoya."

cnn

  

SONY Xperia C6 a 6 inch w/Dual SIM slot and front facing flash, coming. Pictures.

SONY is probably planning a C series Xperia successor with the Xperia C6 smartphone and might arrive with a 6 inch display, Dual SIM slot , front facing flash and minimal side bezels.

xperiablog

Japan: X-2 stealth fighter by Mitsubishi was unveiled.

A demonstration unit of the X-2 stealth fighter made its debut Thursday last week, with the Japanese-built experimental aircraft promising greater maneuverability than other stealth planes.

The jet will take its maiden flight the week of Feb. 15 or Feb. 22. Designer and builder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will hand it over to the Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency at the end of March. The X-2 is under development as the government prepares to replace the F-2 fighter, due for retirement around fiscal 2028.

The new plane will undergo roughly 200 hours of test flights. A decision on whether to manufacture it in Japan or launch a joint international development effort will be reached by fiscal 2018.

 As a stealth aircraft, the X-2 incorporates radar-wave-absorbing material and a body designed to avoid detection. Thrust vector systems lend to its heightened maneuverability. The agency will test stealth, flight performance, control systems and other technologies.

IHI is providing an engine that uses ceramics, alloys and other cutting-edge materials to save weight and withstand the extreme heat of combustion. Although Mitsubishi Heavy put together the final design and constructed the prototype, some 220 companies including Fuji Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries participated in the project, with development costs reaching about 40 billion yen ($334 million).

The U.S. military's F-35 stealth fighter "is not that maneuverable, but the X-2 is stealthy while boasting high maneuverability," said Takahiro Yoshida, project director at the Japanese defense ministry's acquisitions agency.

He declined to identify possible international development partners but said the agency is "gathering information and exchanging opinions."

Japan: NEC helps put Hayabusa2 satelite on course for asteroid.

JAXA's Hayabusa2 probe performed a swing-by of Earth on Thursday, using its gravity to set a course for the Ryugu asteroid. (An artist's rendering of Hayabusa2 (courtesy of JAXA and Akihiro Ikeshita) 

The Hayabusa2 probe swung by Earth on Thursday as part of a 5.2 billion-kilometer-journey to the Ryugu asteroid.

The Japanese spacecraft used the Earth's gravity to slingshot out of its original orbit around the sun and toward its target. This required exact calculations and precision control from the ground. NEC, Japan's leading computer maker, has developed technology to perform those tasks, enabling the probe's long-distance mission.

Hayabusa2 was in an orbit similar to that of the Earth's around the sun since its launch on Dec. 3, 2014. On Thursday, the probe made its closest pass toward Earth exactly a year after its launch and is believed to have increased its velocity relative to the sun from 30.3km per second to 31.9km per second, with the help of the Earth's gravity.

A little fling

This swing-by will push it into an orbit that will take it to the Ryugu asteroid. A swing-by is a navigational method that uses the gravitational pull of a planet or moon to accelerate and change the course of a space probe. The method saves fuel as it does not require the probe to fire its engine.

 "It would take three ion engines operating at full blast for a year to gain the same speed" as the slingshot method, said Yuichi Tsuda, project manager at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

 A successful swing-by requires computation of a probe's speed and altitude, the Earth's gravity, and other variables. In addition, it is necessary to change the probe's course at precisely the right time.

This is where NEC's technology comes in. The computer company has come up with a manual of commands and ways to repair the probe in case something goes wrong. The manual amounts to a plan to navigate Hayabusa2 all the way to Ryugu.

 To measure the craft's location and velocity more accurately, JAXA and NEC have used a method called "Delta Differential One-way Range." Hayabusa2 was Japan's first probe to use this method.

 Previously, JAXA used antennas at the Usuda Deep Space Center in Nagano Prefecture and the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture to measure the positions of its space probes. For Hayabusa2, it uses the new method, which allows simultaneous reception of radio waves from the probe at ground stations in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

By measuring and analyzing trillionth-of-a-second time differences between the radio waves, the method can pinpoint, within a mere 180 meters, the position of the probe as it races through space. In the past, JAXA's positioning was accurate only to within about 2km.

Attitude adjustment

If Hayabusa2 fails to achieve the planned orbit, JAXA will need to use commands -- adjusting amount and direction of engine thrust to alter the probe's attitude, for example, or tweaking the antennas. 

"We think of dozens of scenarios in which the probe fails to function properly and make commands accordingly," said NEC's Takeshi Oshima.

The company devises two weeks' worth of commands once a week and provides these to JAXA. Hayabusa2's command system is much more advanced than the one used in the first-generation Hayabusa probe. Previously, commands were created for unexpected situations as they occurred. 

Based on its earlier experience, NEC has compiled likely commands into a database for Hayabusa2.

 Since its launch a year ago, Hayabusa2's ion engines have been firing continuously. The probe is scheduled to reach Ryugu sometime between June and July of 2018.

  When it arrives, the probe will use its impactor to create an artificial crater and collect material from beneath the surface. To complete this part of the mission, JAXA will need to perform a number of delicate tasks -- controlling the thrust of the engines, changing the probe's attitude and switching antennas.

The mission plan calls for Hayabusa2 to stay on Ryugu for a year and a half to collect materials, then bring them back to Earth. Because the probe may have to burn a lot of fuel on the asteroid, it will try to save as much as possible during its three-year flight.

The probe also uses a so-called solar sail that uses the minute pressure from the light of the sun to control the probe's attitude. NEC developed the technology in response to problems encountered in controlling the first Hayabusa's attitude.

 Because space exploration is a national project for Japan, the technology developed for the probe is not a major source of revenue for NEC. But the company seeks to gain know-how in space probe operations, which it will use in its private satellite business, such as GPS, communications and broadcasting satellites.

     By measuring and analyzing trillionth-of-a-second time differences between the radio waves, the method can pinpoint, within a mere 180 meters, the position of the probe as it races through space. In the past, JAXA's positioning was accurate only to within about 2km.
Attitude adjustment
If Hayabusa2 fails to achieve the planned orbit, JAXA will need to use commands -- adjusting amount and direction of engine thrust to alter the probe's attitude, for example, or tweaking the antennas. "We think of dozens of scenarios in which the probe fails to function properly and make commands accordingly," said NEC's Takeshi Oshima.
     The company devises two weeks' worth of commands once a week and provides these to JAXA. Hayabusa2's command system is much more advanced than the one used in the first-generation Hayabusa probe. Previously, commands were created for unexpected situations as they occurred. Based on its earlier experience, NEC has compiled likely commands into a database for Hayabusa2.
     Since its launch a year ago, Hayabusa2's ion engines have been firing continuously. The probe is scheduled to reach Ryugu sometime between June and July of 2018.
     When it arrives, the probe will use its impactor to create an artificial crater and collect material from beneath the surface. To complete this part of the mission, JAXA will need to perform a number of delicate tasks -- controlling the thrust of the engines, changing the probe's attitude and switching antennas.
    The mission plan calls for Hayabusa2 to stay on Ryugu for a year and a half to collect materials, then bring them back to Earth. Because the probe may have to burn a lot of fuel on the asteroid, it will try to save as much as possible during its three-year flight.
     The probe also uses a so-called solar sail that uses the minute pressure from the light of the sun to control the probe's attitude. NEC developed the technology in response to problems encountered in controlling the first Hayabusa's attitude.
     Because space exploration is a national project for Japan, the technology developed for the probe is not a major source of revenue for NEC. But the company seeks to gain know-how in space probe operations, which it will use in its private satellite business, such as GPS, communications and broadcasting satellites.

International Robot Exhibition 2015 started today in Tokyo.

Robot HRP-2 Kai (left) demonstrates walking on a narrow path, while Jaxon shows that it can duck while moving. The humanoids were on display at the International Robot Exhibition 2015 in Tokyo's Koto Ward. Both are designed for work following disasters and were demonstrated at a booth operated by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. | KAZUAKI NAGATA JapanTimes.

The biannual International Robot Exhibition kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, showcasing the latest advances in robotics — including technology for use in disaster scenarios and in the nursing-care field.

With a record 446 firms attending the event at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, numerous robots are on display through Saturday, when the event wraps up. These include the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) disaster prevention robots, which were drawing huge crowds at their demonstrations.

During the demonstrations by NEDO, one of the country’s largest public research organizations, visitors were awed as the HRP-2 Kai life-size humanoid robot walked along on a narrow path and opened a door to check for a fire while another life-size robot, Jaxon, walked and turned a sprinkler valve to extinguish the blaze.

Using robots to probe disaster sites is a challenge the global robot industry is currently working to tackle, said Ryosuke Aya, project coordinator with the robot and machinery system technology department at NEDO, a Kawasaki-based semi-public body in charge of developing new technologies and energy.

Robots would have been indispensable in the aftermath of disasters like the devastating 3/11 earthquake and tsunami — especially in quake-prone Japan — as well as in more recent accidents like tunnel collapses.

When such disasters occur, “there are places where humans can’t physically go,” said Aya. “That’s where robots come in to reduce the risks of disasters.”

The event also highlighted robot tech for nursing care, including remote monitoring systems and exoskeleton suits that aid those with limited mobility.

But while the nursing care tech sector is likely to grow as Japan grays, Hiroshi Kobayashi, director of Innophys Co., a Tokyo-based venture affiliated with Tokyo University of Science, believes the industry remains quite conservative.

Because of this attitude, employing these new technologies will take time at many nursing-care facilities, said Kobayashi, whose firm sells a robotics product called the Muscle Suit that enables wearers to more easily lift heavy objects.

Meanwhile, robots like SoftBank’s emotion-reading Pepper and Sharp’s robot-designed phone RoBoHon, have also been a hit at the venue, with some attendees pointing out that these robots are likely to be a boon for makers. 

“The market for smart robots will be getting bigger and bigger,” said Taki Sakai, president of Unirbot, the Tokyo-based firm behind Unibo, a small white robot with a liquid-crystal display screen on its head.

The robot can recognize individuals’ faces, chat with them and act as a personal assistant.

The firm is set to go on sale next July for ¥98,000 with a monthly ¥4,500 fee for cloud-based services.

Japan: Scientists create touchable holograms. Video.

Japanese scientists create touchable holograms, believing this could contribute to architecture and medicine.

This isn't CGI. These are touchable holograms, created by Japanese researchers. They've used femtosecond laser technology that fires high frequency laser pulses lasting one millionth of one billionth of a second. The pulses respond to human touch, allowing users to manipulate the hologram's pixels in mid-air. 

DR. YOICHI OCHIAI, TSUKUBA UNIVERSITY, SAYING: "You can't actually feel the videos or pictures, and although you can project a video, you can't interact with it by touching it. So, if we can project an image in a three dimensional form, and if you can touch it, then you can make something where you'll think that there actually is something there." Researchers say their Fairy Lights technology could be used in entertainment, medicine, and architecture.  

DR. YOICHI OCHIAI, TSUKUBA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, SAYING: "People's daily lives would change if we used a bigger laser in a bigger space where people can interact with it, and see how it can be used in situations where three dimensional communication is necessary, such as a construction site or in the medical field." Some experts believe the technology could one day create a computer keyboard beamed onto a person's lap - or allow us to experience virtual touch during video chat.

Reuters.

Japan: New sensors monitor patients' breathing from under bed.

Minebea has worked with IBM Japan and Chiba University to develop a way to track the respiratory status of hospital patients without hooking them up to equipment.

Bed-mounted sensors detect breathing disturbances by monitoring shifts in the body's center of gravity. Minebea plans to begin trials in hospitals at the start of the new year and hopes to have a commercial product ready in fiscal 2016.

Japan: Wearable walk-assist gets green light for sale

Cyberdyne's HAL for Medical Use, lower limb type, is designed to help patients with such conditions as ALS and muscular dystrophy.

Japan's health ministry approved on Wednesday sale of a wearable walk-assist robot for use in medical facilities, underscoring the government's push to promote such products as part of growth strategy.

The HAL for Medical Use, lower limb type, from startup Cyberdyne is the first wearable medical robot approved for sale in Japan.

The product is designed for use in healthcare facilities by patients with eight incurable conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, given height and weight requirements.

Cyberdyne originated at the University of Tsukuba. Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor there, developed the technology and heads the company as president.

Sensors attached to the thigh and other parts of the body detect the weak signals from nervous system, and the motor-powered limbs facilitate the movement of the patient's joints by leading them in the desired direction. This helps the body remember how to walk, according to the company.

The robot could delay the progress of a disorder, or help regain leg function.

Clinical trials at a national hospital in Niigata Prefecture and elsewhere showed that 24 patients who underwent nine sessions of exercises over a three-month period could walk greater distances than those who did not undergo such exercises.

"We hope to introduce it initially to eight hospitals including the Niigata hospital," Sankai said. If the treatment qualifies for insurance coverage, the company will work to expand the application to spinal cord conditions, too.

The robot is already approved in Europe. In Germany, one session of 60-90 minutes costs 500 euros ($530). Coverage by public health insurance is currently being pursued. But work-related injury insurance fully covers 60 sessions. The bulk of cases are for spinal cord injuries.

Other medical robots, such as the endoscopic-surgery assist system da Vinci, have been on the market, too. But a wearable one is rare. 

The Japanese health ministry likely was driven by a sense of urgency to do everything in its power to combat incurable diseases and age-related conditions in a graying society.

Cyberdyne filed with the health ministry in March, aiming to get approval in nine months under an expedited screening process available for medical equipment to treat rare diseases. The actual process took only eight months, highlighting the government's eagerness to promote such products as part of growth strategy. 

"There is the feel that big reforms are underway to create a new medical industry," Sankai said.