MR-like brainstorming application "Brastory"

Mixed Reality(MR) attracts attention in the Japanese tech industry as same as virtual reality. User interface design company Up arrows released the brainstorming application "Brastory" that users can experience MR easily.

When users run the application, dry-erase board where some stickies were put on appears on the real scenery. Furthermore, users can change screen size and positions of stickies, choose stickies of own favorite colors, write comment in them and put them on dry-erase board. In other words, this is an MR version of bulletin-board-system, but creative user interface may draw creative ideas from users. We can use this application from Android mobiles and Web browser. The downloading from Google Play is free.

The sandals which can walk the virtual worlds

A lot of VR Head Mount Display were released in CES 2017, but hardware developer Cerevo released different VR gadgets. They are world's first VR shoes and VR gloves equipped with feel sensors "Taclim".

These have eight tactile devices(gloves 1 X 2, shoes 3 X 2) developed by co-operation of Cerevo and Nidec Seimitsu Corporation, and they feed back the feel to users to video and sound of the VR space. For example, they can reproduce difference in feel when users walked desert, grassy plains, and the waterside. They can reproduce even difference in kinds of the shoes which VR characters wear. In addition, these function as input devices because these have 9-axis sensor that reflects the motion of users in VR space.

Cerevo is going to release two kinds of Bluetooth Edition and Sub-giga Edition which supports the Japan's 920MHz(USA 815MHz/Euro 868MHz). The charge method is Micro USB and it is available for two hours by 3-hour charge. They sell these for 100,000 ~ 50,000yen in this autumn and provide the development environment of this to developers as Unity plug-in.

Wi-Fi camera which shoot the viewpoint of the toy

Have you thought that you wanted to become diorama figures? If you use this Wi-Fi camera, you can enjoy the feeling that you becomes the mini-figures and get on cars and trains of the toy. PCs and gadgets shop DOSPARA developed Wi-Fi camera "Comicam" to be attached to toys.

This is L-shaped to fix it to the roof of cars and the trains of the toy. When users fix this to toy by a rubber band, install application in own smartphones and connect it to Wi-Fi, they can enjoy the viewpoint of the toy with the screen of the smartphone and shoot its photos and video.
In addition, this is a general-purpose action camera also. This has the camera mount of the magnet desorption type, if users attach a tripod to this, they can use it as a general camera. As for the recording time of this, it is short with 70 minutes(When use Wi-Fi; 30 minutes). However, DOSPARA pursued downsizing than battery capacity to make this a simple toy.
The time necessary for charge is about two hours, the angle of view is 120 degrees, resolution of video is 1280 X 720ppixel / 30fps, the biggest pixel of the image is 5 million, and it support microSD ~ microSDXC(64GB). The Size is 78.62 X 23.5 X 14.5mm, weight is about 25g. DOSPARA sells this for 6,480yen(tax-included) in their EC site Shanhaidonya.

Miyagi Pref. got economic effect of 17,7M USD in Pokemon GO

Miyagi Prefecture is one of the stricken areas of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. According to them, they got economic effect of 20 billion yen(about 17,7M USD) thanks to Pokemon GO.

Niantic held an event of Pokemon GO in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima(stricken areas of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami) and Kumamoto（Stricken area of the Kumamoto big earthquake of this year） in November. By this event, more Lapras came to appear in those areas.

This event was started on November 11 until 21, and during the period, many tourists gathered in these stricken areas.

When big disasters attack the areas, the sightseeing income there decreases sharply, and the local economy becomes impoverished. However, location based mobile games can improve it.

via http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/release/ho20161219-6.html (Japanese)

Picture book of humanoid robot "Pepper"

Froebel-kan, the children's book publishing company and SoftBank Robotics produced a picture book of humanoid robot Pepper jointly. The price is 1,000yen(about 8.9USD).

Now, Pepper works in many shops and offices in Japan and he is bought to standard family though his price is 200,000yen(about 1,787USD). The theme of this picture book is the significance of existence of Pepper in the family and symbiosis with human beings and robots.

In this picture book, Pepper is bought as birthday present to a boy. The boy is surprised first, but gradually makes friends with Pepper, and Pepper becomes the member of the family before long.

The daily life of live with robots is already reality. It is important that parents let children think about the daily life with robots. This picture book is sold from yesterday.

Amazon.co.jp
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4577045028