Car companies to roll out innovations at CEATEC

(Courtesy of Nissan Motor Co.)

The increasing application of cutting-edge technology to a new generation of cars has given manufacturers added incentive to show off some of their wares at the upcoming CEATEC Japan 2010 exhibition.

The annual technology show, the largest of its kind in Asia, opens on Tuesday and will showcase everything from the latest supercomputers to robots designed to wash hair, state-of-the-art light-emitting diode technology and advanced energy systems for the home of the future.

Growing concerns over energy sources in the future mean, however, that electric vehicles will inevitably be in the spotlight.

Nissan Motor Co. will be displaying its Leaf car at the event, the world's first mass-market global, 100 percent electric car, before it goes on sale in Japan and the United States in December.

The company will also be displaying a zero-emission "Smart House" that is powered entirely by solar electricity and has a symbiotic relationship with the owner's Leaf car. The display will show how it is possible to operate a network-connected home that links with in-home charging for the Nissan Leaf.

In addition, the car maker has teamed up with game firm Namco Bandai to develop a driving simulator through which users can experience driving through the city of Yokohama in the future, part of the low-carbon Yokohama Smart City Project. The simulator produces ultra high-definition 3D images of roads, buildings and other facilities that are being planned for the future.

4R Energy Corp, a joint venture between Nissan and Sumitomo Corp., will also be exhibiting at the event, demonstrating an electricity storage system developed from recycled electric vehicle batteries.

Epson Toyocom will be another automobile technology company at this year's CEATEC, which stands for Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies and has taken as its theme this year "Digital Harmony: Technologies for Comfortable and Eco Living."

The company specializes in compact gyro-sensors capable of withstanding high temperatures that are incorporated into safety devices, such as rollover protection systems and side curtain airbags.
Another company that will be exhibiting is CWB Automotive, of China, which has advanced car wiring harnesses, control boxes and molded plastic products among its inventory.

CEATEC, October 5-9

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm

Venue: Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex, 2-1 Mikase, Mihama-Ku, Chiba City, 261-0023, Japan. http://www.m-messe.co.jp/en/index.html

Admission: All visitors are required to register, either in advance or on the door. Registering via the www.ceatec.com/ website provides free entry. On the door, the cost is Y1,000 (€9.29) for an adult and Y500 (€4.65) for a student. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.

Further information on CEATEC: +81 3 6212 5233 or http://www.ceatec.com/2010/en/index.html