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October 8, 2015

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Table tennis robot stars at Japanese tech show

A ROBOT that plays table tennis, a flying origami bird and a mirror that some might find a little too honest for comfort were on display at a huge tech show in Japan yesterday.

The gadgets are part of this year’s Cutting-edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition, Asia’s largest electronics fair, in Chiba.

Prominent among the pack was a robot arm made by automation parts maker Omron that can play — and coach — humans at table tennis.

“Immediately after the player hits the ball, the location of the robot’s return ball is displayed on the table-tennis board, helping the player’s next return,” said company spokesman Masayuki Atsumi.

The robot uses a camera and an array of sensors to detect the ball’s movement and play a near flawless rally.

High above attendees, the sound of flapping wings could be heard. Rohm, a major maker of semiconductor devices and other electronic parts, have managed to create an origami crane bird, weighing just 31 grams, that can fly thanks to an ultra-light motor.

“Making everything light was a difficult part in developing this,” spokesman Takumi Furukawa told reporters.

The same company has also invented a sensor which can be placed in luggage to reveal whether suitcases get bashed around by airport handlers — and reveal a suitcase’s location should it get lost.

Electronics giant Panasonic displayed a variety of gadgets that included a mirror which can display your BMI — a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

The mirror can also gauge how healthy your skin is as well as overlay virtual cosmetics on a user’s face that could help guide their morning make-up routine.


 

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