CEATEC 2018 Opens, Featuring Wider User of IoT, AI

Chiba, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--CEATEC Japan 2018, one of the biggest trade shows for electronics and information technology in Asia, kicked off Tuesday at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, east of Tokyo. A total of 725 companies and groups ranging from electronics makers to daily goods and construction machinery manufacturers are presenting products and services featuring state-of-the-art technologies including the Internet of Things, or IoT. In 2016, CEATEC Japan shifted its concept from a trade show for home appliances to an exhibition of technologies involving the use of the IoT or artificial intelligence. This year, the event saw an increased number of participants from various fields. Convenience store operator Lawson Inc. <2651> set up an outlet of the future where an AI-equipped robot proposes menus to customers on the basis of data such as their health conditions and purchase history, and prepare food on the spot. Construction machinery maker Komatsu Ltd. <6301> exhibited not only construction equipment but also a future construction site model where security and operational efficiency are enhanced by the use of construction-related data including location geography and construction materials. Toiletries maker Lion Corp. <4912> introduced an AI-based app to check for bad breath. The organizers aim to attract 160,000 visitors to the four-day event through Friday. END