The CEATEC Japan 2010 information technology and electronics fair opened Tuesday in Chiba, featuring displays of a next-generation smart grid power transmission network and a wide lineup of products using 3-D technologies.
A total of 616 companies and groups, of which 196 are from overseas, have registered to exhibit their products and technologies in 2,255 booths, organizers said. The five-day fair is being held at Chiba's Makuhari Messe convention center.
The organizers said they expect the fair to draw some 200,000 visitors, compared with last year's 150,000.
One of the highlights this year is a 3-D theater where the audience can experience a simulation of a near-future city. The city features an IT-driven smart grid that optimizes the balance between demand and supply of electricity to achieve a low-carbon society.
Smart grids are efficient power transmission networks that are also expected to encourage the use of renewable energy because they provide stability even if fluctuating natural power sources such as solar and wind are used.
"Smart grids are the ultimate way of monitoring and providing services to customers," said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, executive vice president of Nissan Motor Co., which developed the smart grid presentation jointly with Namco Bandai Games Inc.
By finding out how people are using their utilities, it becomes possible to provide electricity, water and gas more effectively, Yamashita said in a speech.
Among the presentations of products using 3-D technologies, Toshiba Corp. is showcasing 3-D televisions that can be watched without special glasses. Toshiba plans to become the world's first company to release such a product when it markets the TVs in late December in Japan.
Toshiba unveiled 12- and 20-inch liquid crystal display 3-D Regza TVs, while a 56-inch model is also on display.
Among other high-profile exhibits, Hitachi Displays Ltd. is demonstrating a new type of energy-saving compact display it has developed jointly with Pixtronix Inc. of the United States.
The display, intended for portable devices such as smart phones and tablets, consumes only about half the electricity of an LCD, allowing people to read electronic books longer without having to recharge their device, the Hitachi group company said. Hitachi Displays plans to begin mass-producing the display possibly in late 2011.
The organizers of the trade show will also open a space for business-to-business communications from Wednesday through Friday aimed at increasing business opportunities for vendors and users.
CEATEC, which stands for Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, has been held every year since 2000 as a venue where business professionals and consumers can view the latest developments in the electronics industry ahead of the yearend shopping season.
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