Murata
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Tesla’s Gigafactory might be behind a global battery shortage
Tesla has been besieged by reports of production delays and quality control issues lately, and now it's coming under fire for problems at its Gigafactory, which have led to a global shortage of cylindrical batteries. According to sources quoted by etnews, it's now "impossible" to purchase cylindrical batteries in Japan -- where most of the world's electronics manufacturing happens -- because Gigafactory has hoovered up the supplies needed to create them, but has failed to do so.
Lithium-ion pioneer Sony is selling its battery arm
Sony is planning to sell its battery division to Murata, a Japanese firm that makes a diverse variety of products like wireless components and robots. Sony started the battery business in 1975 and was the first company to commercialize lithium-ion batteries back in 1991. The electronics giant has been selling off core businesses and assets in an effort to return to profitability -- it recently unloaded its VAIO PC division, New York and Tokyo Headquarters, and Sony Online Entertainment game division. It also split off its sensor and TV businesses into separate companies.
At last, phones will get ultrasound gesture control in first half of 2015
We've been following Elliptic Labs' development on ultrasound gesture control for quite a while, but no time frame was ever given until now. Ahead of CEATEC in Tokyo, the company finally announced that its input technology -- developed in partnership with Murata -- will be arriving on phones in the first half of 2015. But that's not the only good news: On top of the usual swiping gestures for images, games and navigation (we saw some of this last year), there's now a new capability called "multi layer interaction," which uses your hand's proximity to toggle different actions or layers. It's potentially useful for glancing at different types of messages on the lock screen, as demoed in the video after the break.
Murata's cheerleader robots move around on balls and do it in J-Pop unison
It's probably the most Japanese thing I've seen in my first year of covering the country for Engadget: Robo-cheerleaders, barreling around in sync like some sort of Japanese girl "idol" group. In total, there are 10 Cheerleader bots (with two standby units), with light-up cheeks, pom-pom arms that look like PlayStation peripherals and glowing eyes. They glow; they lift their arms; they form ensemble shapes; and they are arguably the most adorable, Weeble-esque robots you've ever laid eyes on. Following the bicycling Murata Boy and the unicycling Murata Girl, here's the Murata Cheerleader and her nine sisters. They're about to dance in formation, all while balancing on a ball. Not only because they simply can, but also because this is how their parent company showcases its (often mind-numbing, let's admit it) sensors and components to both businesses and Joe Public alike.
Elliptic Labs releases ultrasound gesturing SDK for Android, will soon integrate into smartphones
Elliptic Labs has already spruced up a number of tablets by adding the ability to gesture instead of make contact with a touchpanel, and starting this week, it'll bring a similar source of wizardry to Android. The 20-member team is demoing a prototype here at CEATEC in Japan, showcasing the benefits of its ultrasound gesturing technology over the conventional camera-based magic that already ships in smartphones far and wide. In a nutshell, you need one or two inexpensive (under $1 a pop) chips from Murata baked into the phone; from there, Elliptic Labs' software handles the rest. It allows users to gesture in various directions with multiple hands without having to keep their hands in front of the camera... or atop the phone at all, actually. (To be clear, that box around the phone is only there for the demo; consumer-friendly versions will have the hardware bolted right onto the PCB within.) The goal here is to make it easy for consumers to flip through slideshows and craft a new high score in Fruit Ninja without having to grease up their display. Company representatives told us that existing prototypes were already operating at sub-100ms latency, and for a bit of perspective, most touchscreens can only claim ~120ms response times. It's hoping to get its tech integrated into future phones from the major Android players (you can bet that Samsung, LG, HTC and the whole lot have at least heard the pitch), and while it won't ever be added to existing phones, devs with games that could benefit from a newfangled kind of gesturing can look for an Android SDK to land in the very near future. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Murata Walking Measurement System hands-on
Sure, Nike+ will track your gait and help you tell your friends just how that couch-to-2K training is working for ya, but wouldn't it be nice if it your shoes were smarter? That's partly what Murata is enabling with its Walking Measurement System, on display at CEATEC 2012. It's a piezoelectric sensor that sits in the sole of your shoe and detects pressure at different points. The readings from this sensor, transmitted over low-power Bluetooth 4.0, could enable a number of applications including precise shoe fitting for runners, posture detection for dancers and even golf swing analysis for duffers. Murata had this built into a lovely pink Asics sneaker that was a bit too small for us to try on, but we did try squeezing another sensor that fed its data in real-time to an app running on iPhone. Cool concept? For sure, but for now it's just that and nothing more. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Murata Manufacturing shows off self-balancing electric walking aid
Walking assistants of the future come in all shapes and sizes -- from exoskeletons to high-tech walkers -- and you can now also this electric walking aid from Murata Manufacturing to the list of possibilities. It's inspired by some of the standalone robots that the company has built and, much like the Segway, it's able to maintain its balance and stand upright on its own (with an extra set of wheels for some added security). Unlike traditional walkers, however, it requires virtually no effort to push, with built-in sensors able to detect how much the person's body is tilted, and how fast or slow it should move to keep up with them -- it's also apparently powerful to carry a person's luggage or groceries. As you might have suspected, however, it's still just a prototype, and the company isn't ready to say when it might become an actual product. Head on past the break for the company's recent demonstration at CEATEC.
Rohm Wireless Power Transmission system hands-on (video)
Wireless power demos abound at CEATEC, and Rohm Semiconductor had their own variant on hand with a complete mix of direct-draw gadgets, along with the omnipresent charging iPhone 4 (or was it a 4S?). Like Murata's prototype, the Rohm flavor uses square electrodes instead of the coils that you'll find in traditional wireless power solutions, like Qi. But unlike that seemingly identical solution from Murata, this version supports much greater power efficiency -- something in the 92 to 93 percent range (compared to the competing pad's 70-percent efficiency rating). That means that the prototype that we're looking at here loses just seven to eight percent of power during transmission -- which is still unacceptably high, mind you, but far more tolerable. Rohm's Wireless Power Transmission system also allows you to charge or power devices by placing them anywhere on the pad, rather than directly over charging positions, and it supports much greater transmission, with one prototype outputting up to 100 watts. Since power efficiency isn't something we could verify visually, what we could see at the company's demo did appear to work quite well. Powering a gadget is as simple as dropping it on the pad. Well, resting it gently -- this is a prototype we're talking about, after all. The 50-watt pad was able to power a fan, LED light, and a couple of charging smartphones without issue. The light and fan jumped to full power as soon as they made contact. A second pad got the juices flowing to a large OLED light panel, which was plenty bright when positioned on its own pad, but glowed quite dim when joining other devices. There weren't any charging laptops on hand, like we saw over at Murata, but with power output at 50 and 100 watts, either pad could theoretically support it. Like many of the prototypes we've seen at CEATEC, there aren't any plans to actually bring the system to market, but the technology could be used in other devices. We go hands-on after the break.%Gallery-135773%
Murata Tactile Controller TV remote hands-on (video)
What's that, you're not into changing the channel with that boring old remote, or even with your voice? Murata's ground-up Tactile Controller brings a real twist to every couch potato's favorite gadget. Quite literally. The company's prototype remote uses touch-pressure pads and pyroelectricity to analyze the position of a piezoelectric film. In English: a plastic film produces tiny amounts of electricity at various voltages (output as data) when it's forced into a variety of positions, letting you change the channel simply by twisting the controller in either direction, or flexing to adjust volume. The model we saw was a plastic sandwich of sorts, and also included four solar cells, capable of producing one milliwatt of electricity -- just enough to power the device. We put the controller through its paces at the company's CEATEC booth, adjusting a TV's volume and channel up and down, and, well, up and down, since that's just about all you can do with the thing. The model we saw only supported five twist positions and four bending positions in each direction, so it could theoretically adjust those two basic settings more quickly based on how much pressure you put on the film, but realistically can't do much beyond that. The Tactile Controller on display here is more of a proof of concept of sorts -- with the concept being the plastic film technology itself, and not the battery-free remote control, which the company decided would be the most visual application for testing its new film, though not necessarily the most practical. Understandably, Murata doesn't have any plans to release the remote that we saw today, but you can jump past this to see us do the twist.%Gallery-135771%
Murata Wireless Power Transmission System supports laptops, we go hands-on (video)
Do we really need another wireless charging system that's incompatible with industry standards? Murata seems to think that we do. The company's prototype uses neither conductive nor inductive transmission, instead bringing its new capacitive coupling technology to the cordless charging mix. Capacitive coupling uses square transmitter and receiver electrodes, instead of the coils used with Qi devices. It also doesn't require a physical connection like near-obsolete conductive tech, which dictates that both the charging pad and receiving device use metal connectors that must be joined to transfer current. The Murata system is far from being production-ready, with only 70 percent efficiency (30 percent of electricity is lost during transmission). The sample the company had on hand can support 16 watts of output with a maximum of 2.1 amps, making each pad capable of charging several small gadgets, or one larger device, like a laptop. Murata seemed more interested in demonstrating the concept behind capacitive coupling than actually proving that it works -- the laptop we saw "charging" was a plastic mockup, though the base did glow red when the laptop's charging pad came into contact (though it also glowed blue at times, as you can see in the image above). We did take a close look at an iPhone case, however, which appeared to be remarkably thin -- much thinner than models from Powermat, for example, though the case does extend below the dock connector. Another advantage of the square electrodes is that you don't need to place devices in a certain position on the mat in order for them to charge -- they simply need to be positioned within the general charging area. We take a closer look in the video after the break.%Gallery-135770%
Murata wants to take couch potatoes by the hand and do the remote control twist
We've seen Murata's marketing future, and it involves either Chubby Checker or that '90s Helen Hunt movie. The Japanese electronics maker's cooked up a flexible sensor device that'll let you twist and shout bend your way to remote television control. Dubbed the Leaf Grip Remote Controller, the prototype UI design makes use of a special pyroelectric effect-free piezoelectric film that translates twisting into channel changing, rapid twisting to swap video inputs, bending for volume control and rapid bending to power the set on / off. The company's also outfitted the non-clicker (which we'll henceforth refer to as "the Twister") with a photovoltaic cell, giving it the ability to charge -- from your man cave? Kinks in its planning aside, sample shipments are expected to be delivered sometime next spring. But, before they rush this product out to market, may we suggest the inclusion of a sports-induced rage-proof mode?
Mosaid gets into WiFi patent game, sues 17 companies including Dell, Canon, Asus, and RIM
Whether or not you agree with their tactics, lots of companies are finding it quite lucrative business to spend more time in the courts than in the research labs. CSIRO got some tasty settlements back in 2009, while just a few months ago Wi-LAN received "a significant amount" in a settlement from Intel. Now it's Mosaid's turn, a Kanata, Ontario-based company that bills itself as "one of the world's leading intellectual property (IP) companies, focused on the licensing and development of semiconductor and communications technologies." Indeed it just licensed some of those properties to LG on the 15th, but the very next day it filed suit against a 17 defendants for infringing on six of the company's patents, relating to network discovery, multiplexing, and other wireless techniques. Among those companies is RIM; which has its Torch, Style, Curve, Pearl, Bold, Storm handsets called out; and Asus, which has a long line of motherboards, routers, and other products said to be in jeopardy. As ever it's hard to draw the line between the patent trolls and the legitimately infringed, but that the lawsuit was filed in litigation-friendly Marshall, Texas doesn't leave us with a particularly good feeling.
Murata's fatigue sensor demoed, coming soon to mobiles and handhelds near you
Need further confirmation that an IV drip of 5-Hour Energy is what your body really needs? Look no further than Murata's newfangled fatigue sensor. Demonstrated at CEATEC in front of thousands of jetlagged Americans, Europeans, Easter Islanders and Samoans, this compact device is built by "integrating a photoplethysmographic sensor, which measures a pulse and a blood oxygen saturation level, and electrodes that measure electrocardiogram (ECG)." We're told that the unit measures a fatigue degree (reported on a 1 to 100 scale) based on the "pulse, blood oxygen saturation level and electrocardiogram measured by the sensing parts," and while we're guessing the prototype will have to shrink significantly before it happens, the company seems focused on cramming this thing into cellphones and portable game consoles of the future.You know -- so Nintendo actually can know when you need to lay down the gaming and step outside for a bit.
Murata Seiko and her male counterpart get upgrades, we get another look at their awesome skills
Murata Seiko, or Murata Girl, is a pretty impressive, attractive little piece of work. The unicycling, dress-wearing robot brings smiles wherever she goes, we're sure (when we had the chance to see her in person that was certainly the case). You may or may not have known that Murata also has a bike riding male counterpart called Little Seisaku? Well, they've both just gotten their upgrades for the year, and that, of course, gives us another opportunity to admire them in all their cuteness. While there aren't any videos of their improvements yet, we know that Murata Girl's now able to traverse an S-shaped balance beam in addition to her straight one, while Little Seisaku's charging capabilities have been upgraded (he can now do so wirelessly), and he's more efficient, too. Check out another shot below.
Murata's paper-thin waterproof speaker perfect for phones, pool parties
Waterproof phones are few and far between stateside, but in Japan, they're pretty common -- and hey, who wouldn't like to be able to safely take that two-hour conference call from the comfort of your bubble bath? To that end, Murata is touting its new ultra-thin piezoelectric speaker that clocks in at just 0.9mm thick while maintaining IPX7 compliance for water resistance. It's said that waterproof phones are traditionally made by covering speaker holes with a film, compromising sound quality -- but with Murata's design, no film is necessary, offering you that symphony hall-style audio you so desperately need from sixteen inches under the surface of your swirling hot tub. Party on!
Murata Seiko unicycling robot stays upright, wows onlookers at CEATEC (video)
Murata Seiko, the newly improved unicycling robot that we peeked a few weeks ago, was proudly on stage with her bicycling sibling at CEATEC, and we couldn't resist the urge to swing by and see exactly how amazing her balancing skills were. Sure enough, the bot never once teetering or tottered, and while it didn't scoot around for very long, we were still impressed to see it hold itself up with no human intervention. 'Course, we won't really be wowed until she successfully navigates down a few slops on the way to San Francisco's Pier 39, but based on what we saw in Japan, we'd say that she's well on her way. Check the vid after the break if you're scouting a performance.%Gallery-75057%
Murata Seiko unicycling robot gets an awesome upgrade
It was almost exactly a year ago that our hearts were stolen by Murata Seiko (Japanese for Murata Girl), the balance-blessed, unicycling robot. Murata Seiko didn't perform surgery or serve cocktails at parties -- she was no service bot... unless you consider pure, unadulterated, awe-inspiring entertainment a service. And we must admit, we do. Well, Murata's going to be performing at CEATEC 2009, showing off her three-times increased speed, improved balance, and turning ratio. All of this culminates in her new-found ability to navigate a very thin balance beam. Check out the videos of her in action after the break.
NEDO's Advanced Robotics project enters second phase, boasts totally sweet bots
NEDO, an administrative institute in Japan, has been working on what it calls the "Project for Strategic Development of Advanced Robotics Elemental Technologies" since 2006. The project has now entered its second phase, and boasts some pretty impressive looking bots. Murata Machinery's robotic delivery system (pictured above) which is designed to help in places like hospitals, delivering medications late at night so that nurses and aids don't have to spend a lot of time on such tasks. The company plans to test it and monitor the bot in use at hospitals in order to verify its effectiveness. We don't know about you, but the idea of this guy visiting us late at night when we're feeling low in a hospital is either really awesome or terrifically creepy. Either way, we fully expect this guy to have a starring role in The Phantom of the Opera any day now. Hit the read link to check out the other participants in the project.
Murata's new balancing robot loses a wheel, gains a trick
Riding a bicycle isn't exactly easy, especially if you're made of circuitry, wires, and a gyroscope. That was Murata Seisaku-kun's one trick, and now he's sadly obsolete. Meet Seiko, a 20-inch tall, 11 pound unicycle riding robot. Like her, uh, "cousin" Keisaku-kun, Seiko relies on a chest-mounted gyro to stay upright and uses Bluetooth to communicate with a PC that gives instructions. (Yes, she's a PC.) Lucky robot lovers can watch the whole family of robo-carnies do its stuff at CEATEC Japan 2008, but even luckier you can check out the elder bot on his bike in motion after the break without having to leave your chair.
Seiko Epson, Murata team up on contactless quick charger
Not even a week after startup WiPower boasted about its breakthrough in wireless power, Murata and Seiko Epson have announced plans to "jointly development a non-contact quick charging system." Reportedly, the technology "leverages electromagnetic induction," and both the charging stand and a given mobile device would be "respectively equipped with coils that generate power." As for the production, it sounds like Seiko Epson will hone in on the "transmitting side, or primary side," while Murata "will be involved in the production of the rechargeable Li-ion." The overriding goal is to recharge a handset "in about 10 to 15 minutes in a non-contact manner," which would purportedly push power transmission efficiency from current levels of 30- to 50-percent to nearly 70-percent. Oh, and we've already been assured that these "will not generate heat."
