Non-contact technological innovation is a leap!

Non-contact technological innovation is a leap!

In response to the spread of infection worldwide, the technology to perform all equipment without contact is advancing dramatically. From a global perspective, Japan was a country where digitalization was not progressing, but now that we are here, we are under pressure to need it.

Non-contact technology that spreads in everyday life without touching
A globe that emerged in front of you. If you hold your right hand and move it, the globe will rotate, and if you touch the word "Oahu" on the Pacific Ocean, you will see a beautiful beach image and you can easily get tourist information.

A globe that emerged in front of you. If you hold your right hand and move it, the globe will rotate, and if you touch the word "Oahu" on the Pacific Ocean, you will see a beautiful beach image and you can easily get tourist information. Technology "ASKA 3D plate" developed by Asukanet (Hiroshima City). Globes and the like actually exist as aerial images, and are not an illusion.

A sample of aerial video using Asukanet's technology "ASKA 3D plate". You can operate the globe floating in the air and get tourist information (from Asukanet's YouTube)

Using the company's technology, the Hiroshima Bank (the same city) will also test-introduce an ATM (automated teller machine) using aerial video technology in May this year. Menus such as "Withdrawal" and "Balance Inquiry" will appear, and you can actually touch and operate them. According to the bank, this is the first ATM in Japan. The person in charge says, "It will be possible to respond intuitively and hygienically."

Why is this possible? In the case of the prototype of the "aerial touch display" developed by Mitsubishi Electric Engineering (Tokyo) last fall, images are projected in the air using reflective materials. By determining the position and movement of the finger with a sensor, it can be used for smartphones such as tapping (tapping the screen once) and flicking (flicking).

It was said that technical studies began in earnest several years ago, and the person in charge said, "It is possible to introduce it in a wide range of places such as public terminals and medical sites that are touched by an unspecified number of people." The company aims to commercialize it by the end of FY2021. The futuristic spectacle I saw in science fiction movies is no longer a dream.

Temperature measurement in 1 second at the same time
The demand for "non-contact" increased due to the new coronavirus disease, and technological innovation accelerated. Some of them have already penetrated our lives.

Non-contact type automatic face recognition temperature measurement system introduced in "art KYOTO 2020" = Kyoto National Museum in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto (photographed by Nagumo)

The art event "art KYOTO 2020" was held at the Kyoto National Museum (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City) in December last year. When I brought my face close to the display, which was about the size of a smartphone placed at the entrance, my face photo, ID, and body temperature registered in advance were displayed. << Please proceed >>. A message comes up and you are prompted to enter. Face recognition and temperature measurement were completed in less than 1 second at the same time.

Non-contact type admission management system "Face FC". Artificial intelligence (AI) captures the characteristics of registered faces, collates them, and guides them. Judgment is possible even while wearing a mask. If it detects fever, it will warn you with an alarm. The system can also grasp the number of people staying at the venue, and can also prevent 3 stagnation. The person in charge of the event thinks that it will "become a new standard".

This system was jointly developed by Datascope (Tokyo), which works on image analysis and face recognition function development, with the Hon Hai Group in Taiwan. According to the data scope, it can also be determined whether the target is a living human being. For this reason, it is said that it can detect fraudulent activities such as holding a photo over the display.

We are also considering linking face and credit card information, and the person in charge says, "It will not be impossible to sell products using the face."

According to the event
Professor Hirotsugu Yamamoto (optical engineering) of the Faculty of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, who is familiar with aerial video technology, said that "the value of being hygienic where the general public touches has suddenly emerged" due to the corona sickness, and entertainment that was previously envisioned. It is analyzed that the needs for and visual aspects have changed completely. The postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled to be held this summer, so he said, "I'm looking forward to the emergence of new technologies in line with the event." (Asuka Ishibashi, Yuya Hosoda)

Do not touch or face each other. The new normal brought about by the new corona has brought about a paradigm shift (change of values) in our lives. The expansion of telecommuting will change the way we live and work, and adorable robots will seek new relationships between humans and machines. The food and beverage industry, which has been seriously affected by refraining from going out, has also undergone model changes. In the 3rd year of Reiwa, which opened the curtain, we explore the future-oriented with corona.