The Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC) opened on Tuesday near Tokyo, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and innovations from over 800 companies and organizations. The four-day event, held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, is being co-hosted with the Japan Mobility Show for the first time to foster collaboration between the electronics and mobility sectors. Artificial intelligence takes center stage at CEATEC 2024, with around half of the participants in the tech section presenting AI-related products or technologies.
Kazuhiro Tsuga, head of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) and chairman of Panasonic Holdings Corp., emphasized the significance of AI in his opening speech, stating, “We have entered a new era where we have to think about how we are going to utilize AI to find solutions to our challenges, rather than pondering if we should introduce AI or not.”
Among the notable exhibits, Toyota Motor Corp. showcased a portable hydrogen tank designed to power electric generators and cooking grills during disasters, demonstrating the diverse applications of hydrogen beyond fuel cell vehicles. Panasonic introduced perovskite solar cells that can be applied to glass surfaces with high power generation efficiency, potentially powering electric vehicles when installed on car windows.
Sony Group Corp., in partnership with Honda Motor Co., displayed the latest vehicle safety system using its image sensor and laser technologies to detect driver drowsiness.
AI technologies shine at Ceatec 2024
NEC Corp.
presented an AI service capable of understanding and summarizing movie content, which can be applied in various scenarios such as creating summaries of sport events or generating progress reports in construction sites and nursing homes. TDK Corp. unveiled a semiconductor component mimicking the structure of the human brain, significantly reducing AI electricity consumption to one-hundredth of current levels.
Masanori Katayama, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, expressed his excitement, stating, “There are many technologies we didn’t even think of. We hope to continue our collaboration with the tech industry.”
Approximately 1,000 firms are participating in this joint event at Makuhari Messe through Friday. Entrance is free of charge, but visitors must register online before arriving at the venue.
JEITA expects the exhibition to draw over 100,000 visitors, offering a glimpse into the future of AI and its transformative impact on various industries.
