[Wearable Expo Japan 2015] A wearable to take over the future electronics industry

With increasing interests in wearable devices, the first Wearable Device Technology Expo 2015 was held on January 14, 2015 at the Tokyo Big Sight including the participating companies of the batteries and electric parts/materials such as a sensor, display, etc. which are to be used for wearable devices. The host announced that the event in 2016 will be about four times larger than this year proving the increased interests in associated industries and expected a drastic growth of the wearable device industry.

The first speaker of the Commemorative Session, Hideyuki Saso, the President of Fujitsu Laboratories, presented that the key for a wearable device is ICT (Information & Communication Technology) which enables every device wearable as applying a sensor and connecting system.

Tomokazu Tajima, the senior vice president of Sony, pointed out ‘co-creation’ as the keyword. He said that the issue for a wearable device is creating a new application through a co-work practice among other players in the industry. Also he estimated high market opportunities of the wearable device industry.

Among 150 companies submitted for the exhibition, WESTUNITIS showed the glasses using the micro display and PPP presented the smart glasses controlling display through hand gestures by employing a sensor and camera at the end of the glasses.

In addition, there were other wearable devices receiving fervent responses as using the glasses, smart watch and sensor including the system automatically informing the work process as linked with a display and embedded sensors in a pair of gloves and glasses, or the system operating a robot to follow the movements of a human wearing the device with a sensor installed in the arm area.

<West units’s wearable device>

<PPP’s smart glasses>