Computer Chronicles - Japan's Hi-Tech Expo 85

Overview

• World's largest television set: 14 stories high, by Sony
• Japan's dominance in electronics: TVs, stereos, VCRs, cameras
• Focus of lecture: Japanese computer technology

Japan's Hi-Tech Expo 85 in Tsukuba (Science City)

• Fascination with technology and robots
• Tsukuba: center for research and demonstration

Tsukuba Science City

• Initiative started 20 years ago
• Combination of research facilities, universities, high-tech manufacturing
• Goal: create environment for scientific breakthroughs
• Private industry to transfer new technologies to daily life
• Concern: lack of interest in science careers among youth

Expo 85

• Giant high-tech show, comic-book style, influenced by Walt Disney
• Features: futuristic buildings, dancing humanoids, floating Hues, TV larger than office building
• Goal: Showcase Japan's technological prowess

Notable Exhibits

• Toshiba Pavilion: Electro Plaza with multi-jointed robots, inspection arm with 104 sensors
• Fujitsu: Featured world's largest humanoid robot, FANUC man
• Fujitsu: Automatic multilingual news service for live news translation
• NEC: Demonstrated live simultaneous interpretation

Foreign Exhibits

• Soviet Union: PC with voice recognition, synthesizing Indo-European languages
• Italy: Computer technology in art analysis
• France: Model of Minitel for home database linking
• West Germany: Integrated communications equipment, multi-service terminal by Deutsche Bundespost
• NTT (Japan): Future telecom tech with digital switching, facsimile, videophones

Japan Airlines

• New transportation tech: HSST - magnetic cushion train

Advanced Robotics at Tsukuba

• Japanese national pavilion with advanced humanoid abilities
• Dr. Akido Kanto's work on anthropomorphic robots
• Wasabot robot: human-like in appearance and movements
• Development: 80 microprocessors, 50 degrees of movement in limbs
• Demonstrations: robots playing organ, walking biped robot, chrono pet robot (climbs stairs)
• Future predictions: Personal robots in offices and homes by 21st century
• Challenges: Balancing technological advances with societal changes

Commentary: Paul Schindler on Robotics

• Japanese ahead in robotics due to labor shortage
• Future: US may catch up when needed, potential role reversal
• Key point: Manual labor best done by machines

Technology News Updates

• IBM strategies: Free software, new American-made printers
• Epson: New dot matrix printer for home use
• Spring Comdex: Highlight - Atari's new 520 ST
• Parallel processing breakthroughs: Butterfly and Connection computers
• Intel: Future parallel processing computer announcement

Software Review: Bank President

• Simulation game: CEO of a major bank, control regulatory environment
• Addictive and banned in some banks

New Innovations

• Voice command system for IBM PC
• Blue Cross: Laser ID card with medical history
• GM: Computer decision for Saturn plant location
• Santa Cruz: Program to beat roulette house advantage
• Michael Newman: Poetry processor for writing and analyzing poems
• Rector: Software that writes novels independently

Sponsors and Service

• Sponsored by McGraw-Hill Publishers of Popular Computing
• Accommodations: Capital Tokyo Hotel
• Air transportation: Japan Airlines