Japanese VR startup Diver-X has acquired the business license for the force feedback device EXOS. Combined with its ContactGlove haptics, the aim reaches beyond VR and the metaverse into robot teleoperation and Physical AI. A look at the frontier of Japanese haptics.
SoftBank accelerates its net-zero journey with AI-powered base station sleep control saving 5 million kWh annually and hybrid solar-wind self-powered stations. Learn how Japan's telecom giant is revolutionizing green infrastructure.
UK startups are developing revolutionary "autophage" spacecraft that consume their own fuel tanks for propulsion. This self-eating rocket technology could enable low-cost deep space missions, with £150,000 funding secured in 2025 for lunar orbit capabilities. Learn how this innovation is reshaping space exploration.
Japanese researchers from RIKEN, Nippon Medical School, and Tohoku University developed a breakthrough AI method for cancer prognosis prediction. By incorporating medical knowledge through "intermediate reasoning scores," the system overcomes the dual challenges of institutional and specimen variations, achieving consistent predictions across different hospitals.
Japan unveils groundbreaking automated rare metal recovery system developed over 30 years by AIST's Dr. Tatsuya Oki. Combining AI detection with air-based sorting technology, this world-first facility in Osaka began testing in September 2025. The system automatically extracts up to 10 types of rare metals from six categories of small electronics including smartphones and tablets, targeting commercial operation by 2028. Learn how this innovation could transform Japan's resource security and reduce dependence on Chinese imports.
Japanese-led international research team reveals the quenching mechanism of thorium-229 isomers crucial for next-generation nuclear clocks. Discovery shows electrons in crystals reset nuclear states, advancing portable solid-state nuclear clocks for GPS and dark matter research.
NIMS and University of Tokyo researchers have developed a revolutionary wafer-scale deposition technology for next-generation semiconductor material MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide). By discovering two key growth mechanisms, self-alignment and self-limiting, they achieved uniform, high-quality monolayer films across entire 2-inch wafers. This breakthrough opens the path to post-silicon semiconductors for sub-1nm node transistors.
Toray's all-carbon CO2 separation membrane successfully demonstrated at an Osaka sewage treatment plant. The technology reduces dehumidification costs by approximately 70% compared to conventional methods, dramatically improving biogas power generation economics and potentially transforming sewage plants nationwide into small-scale power stations.
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed an AI system that automatically detects whip sounds in horse racing. Using 192kHz high-fidelity audio and deep learning, the technology achieves 70% accuracy with potential for real-time detection, advancing race fairness and animal welfare.
Japan is at the front of smart contact lens development: holographic display technology from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, SEED's open-source platform, and Waseda's electromagnetic shielding. One industry forecast puts the global market at about $13.4 billion by 2030. Discover how Japanese universities and companies are shaping the future of wearable tech.
Australian researchers have developed "thermoradiative diodes" that convert infrared radiation emitted from Earth into space at night into electricity. This reverse solar panel technology shows promise for satellite power and deep space missions. Explore the potential and challenges of this renewable energy breakthrough.