High-end Electric Motorbike Debuts in Japan

The Development Team for the zecOO Electric Motorbike announced March 5, 2015, that it has released the "zecOO" large-size specialty motorbike.

zecOO was designed and produced by Kota Nezu, who was a designer at Toyota Motor Corp. It was announced as a concept motorbike in November 2011.

The motorbike is manufactured by Autostaff Suehiro, which manufactures and sells custom motorbikes in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. About two units of the motorbike are manufactured in each month, and only 50 units will be manufactured.



 

zecOO is based on an electric unit manufactured by Zero Motorcycles Inc, and Eric Wu, an engineer who once engaged in the development of four-wheel electric vehicles (EVs) at SIM-Drive Corp (a company that develops EVs), customized it.

"Compared with four-wheel EVs, the power density of electric motorbikes needs to be drastically improved, and it was difficult," he said.



The maximum output and maximum torque of the electric unit"s motor are 50kW and 144N·m, respectively. The maximum speed of the motorbike is 160km/h. Though the output is not particularly high, the maximum torque is equivalent to or higher than that of a motorbike with a displacement larger than 1,000cc.

"It provides a wonderful feeling of acceleration," Nezu said. "It is totally different from other vehicles."

In the motorbike"s body, which has a very limited space, there are a high-output power unit and large-capacity battery. The capacity of the lithium-ion (Li-ion)rechargeable battery is 11.4kWh. The drive range, weight and length of the motorbike are 160km, 280kg and 2,450mm, respectively.

In the development of the motorbike, the environmental resistance of the electric system, specifically the securement of insulation, was an issue specific to motorbikes, Wu said. For example, the motor and battery are air-cooled. But it is difficult to balance waterproofing and cooling for driving on rainy days. The voltage of the motor controller is 150V or lower to make it easy to ensure insulation.



Four-wheel EVs appeal to users with their low environmental load. However, in the case of specialty motorbikes, performance is considered to be more important than environmental friendliness. There seem to be people who pay an unlimited amount of money for a driving experience that is totally different from those with conventional gasoline vehicles.

The price of zecOO is ¥8.88 million (approx US$74,453, excluding tax).

Panasonic to Release Spherical Fan/circulator

Panasonic Corp announced a spherical air blower that is 25cm in diameter and can be used both as a fan and air circulator.

With its own ball-like structure, the blower, "Q," blows out about seven times as much air as it sucks from its suction port. It sends air that is powerful and going straight and efficiently stirs and circulates air in the entire space, the company said.

Furthermore, the blower has the "1/f fluctuation" function and can send natural, fluctuating wind so that it does not cool people too much. As a result, people in the space do not get tired even when they are exposed to wind for long hours, Panasonic said.



The structure of the new product derived from a ball structure that shows the characteristics of induced airflow. The pressure of the air sucked from the suction port is increased by a turbofan and ejected as high-speed airflow. Moreover, the amount of air is increased by about seven times because the air being ejected induces air near the air outlet. As a result, a powerful, straight wind is sent to the space.



The strong wind significantly moves airflow and efficiently stirs air in the entire space. The new blower can be used not only in summer but also in winter for lessening the unevenness of temperature caused by a heater, Panasonic said.

The air blower measures 250 x 250 x 277mm (including the stand) and weighs 2.1kg. Its maximum and minimum power consumptions are 18.5W and 2.5W, respectively. It is manufactured in Japan with a monthly production rate of 2,000 units. There is no manufacturer"s suggested retail price. It will be released May 20, 2015, at an estimated retail price of ¥40,000 (approx US$336).

"Piezoelectric Fabric" Applied to Wearable Sensors

Kansai University and Teijin Ltd developed a "piezoelectric fabric" that can be used for wearable sensors and actuators.
At a press conference that they had Jan 8, 2015, they demonstrated the fabric by using a robot, 3D model, etc. The piezoelectric fabric is a fabric consisting of various fibers including PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid) and carbon fibers. PLLA features piezoelectricity; therefore, when it is bent or stretched, it generates an alternating electric potential.
When PLLA is used for a fabric, it is possible to realize a piezoelectric fabric that can detect various movements such as bend and twist. When an alternating electric potential is applied to PLLA, it can also be used as an actuator. The carbon fibers function as electrodes.


A shirt made of the "piezoelectric fabric." It has a structure in which the PLLA fiber is sandwiched by a pair of carbon fibers.
[Click to enlarge image]
The PLLA fiber can detect only bending (stretching) movements. However, if a fabric is made of it, the fabric can detect other movements such as twisting movements. Depending on the kind of fabric (weaving technique), the "constraint condition" at the point where warp and weft threads cross each other changes, thus, changing detectable movements. Therefore, it is possible to realize a wearable sensor that can detect various movements by combining different kinds of fabrics.
For example, "plain weave," in which warp and weft threads cross each other by alternately going over one thread, then under the next and so on, has many "crossing points" and a stable structure. So, it is suited for detecting simple bending movements.
On the other hand, "satin weave," in which warp and weft threads cross each other for every five threads, has a loose structure. And crossing points are arranged in two directions that are perpendicular to each other (diagonal to the fiber). Therefore, it is suited for detecting twisting movements.

[video width="480" height="360" mp4="https://myjapanaddress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Piezo-Electric-Fibre.mp4"][/video]

Human movements being copied by a robot wearing the fabric

"Piezoelectric Fabric" Applied to Wearable Sensors

Kansai University and Teijin Ltd developed a "piezoelectric fabric" that can be used for wearable sensors and actuators.
At a press conference that they had Jan 8, 2015, they demonstrated the fabric by using a robot, 3D model, etc. The piezoelectric fabric is a fabric consisting of various fibers including PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid) and carbon fibers. PLLA features piezoelectricity; therefore, when it is bent or stretched, it generates an alternating electric potential.
When PLLA is used for a fabric, it is possible to realize a piezoelectric fabric that can detect various movements such as bend and twist. When an alternating electric potential is applied to PLLA, it can also be used as an actuator. The carbon fibers function as electrodes.


A shirt made of the "piezoelectric fabric." It has a structure in which the PLLA fiber is sandwiched by a pair of carbon fibers.
[Click to enlarge image]
The PLLA fiber can detect only bending (stretching) movements. However, if a fabric is made of it, the fabric can detect other movements such as twisting movements. Depending on the kind of fabric (weaving technique), the "constraint condition" at the point where warp and weft threads cross each other changes, thus, changing detectable movements. Therefore, it is possible to realize a wearable sensor that can detect various movements by combining different kinds of fabrics.
For example, "plain weave," in which warp and weft threads cross each other by alternately going over one thread, then under the next and so on, has many "crossing points" and a stable structure. So, it is suited for detecting simple bending movements.
On the other hand, "satin weave," in which warp and weft threads cross each other for every five threads, has a loose structure. And crossing points are arranged in two directions that are perpendicular to each other (diagonal to the fiber). Therefore, it is suited for detecting twisting movements.

[video width="480" height="360" mp4="https://myjapanaddress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Piezo-Electric-Fibre.mp4"][/video]

Human movements being copied by a robot wearing the fabric

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Uzushio Electric Rolls Out Electric 3-Wheeler in Philippines

Uzushio Electric Co Ltd announced that it started volume production of the "68VM" electric three-wheeled vehicle at the end of November 2014 in the Philippines.

BEMAC Electric Transportation Philippines (BEET) Inc, a subsidiary of Uzushio Electric, manufactures the power control unit (PCU) of the 68VM and inspects completed vehicles. And Almazora Motors Corp, a local partner of Uzushio Electric, as Uzushio Electric sembles the vehicle. The production capacity is 500 units per month (6,000 units per year), and it is scheduled to be increased to 1,000 units per month (12,000 units per year) in July 2015.

For the PCU of the 68VM, a battery management system (BMS) that Uzushio Electric developed in a joint research with Ehime Prefecture was employed. Also, for the major devices of the vehicle such as its lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery and inverter, the company employed products made by Japanese manufacturers to improve product quality and reliability.
The 68VM measures 3,300 (L) x 1,440 (W) x 1,820mm (H). It can carry six passengers and one driver. The capacity of the battery is 3-5kWh. The output of the motor is 5kW. When it is driven at a speed of 20km/h (the most fuel-efficient speed, approx 12.4mph), its drive range is 80km. Otherwise, its drive range is 50km. The maximum speed of the vehicle is 50km/h. Its hill-climbing ability is 16°.

In the Philippines, about four million three-wheeled taxis that are made by adding a sidecar to a 125cc gasoline-powered motorbike and called "tricycle" are used. They serve as citizens" means of transportation, but some old models reportedly cause air pollution and traffic congestion. Therefore, the government of the Philippines has been engaged in many projects to convert tricycles into electric vehicles.

Olympus Announces Lens-interchangeable Camera Using Smartphone

Olympus Imaging Corp announced the "Olympus Air A01" lens-interchangeable camera using the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system Feb 15, 2015.



It looks like the lens mount of a mirrorless camera and is operated with a smartphone. Olympus Imaging will start to sell the camera exclusively on its online shopping site March 6, 2015. The price of the "body" (mount) is ¥36,504 (approx US$308, including tax). A set of the body and a 14-42mm lens unit (F value: 3.5-5.6) is priced at ¥53,784. The company plans to produce the camera at a rate of 1,000 units per month.

The new camera is the first product to be released for the "OPC Hack & Make Project," which Olympus Corp announced in September 2014. The most distinguishing feature of the camera is that users can freely develop accessories and applications for controlling the camera.

Olympus Imaging will offer 3D data on the outer shape and SDKs (software development kits) for Android OS and iOS for free. Also, it plans to regularly host events for users who develop accessories and applications in the aim of forming a community of developers.

For the new camera, Olympus Imaging will provide eight smartphone applications including "OA.Genius," which makes it easy to take photos, "OA.ModeDial," which enables to manually adjust shutter speed and aperture, and "OA.ArtFilter," which provides 23 kinds of filters. In addition to those applications, by using smartphone applications developed with the SDKs, it becomes possible to use the new camera in various ways, the company said.

The camera measures 56.9 x 57.1 x 43.6mm, and its mass is about 147g (body). It is equipped with a 16.05-Mpixel 4/3-inch "Live MOS Sensor." Its sensitivity, shutter speed and continuous shooting speed are ISO200-12,800, 1/16,000-4 seconds and about 10fps (frames per second), respectively. The recording formats for still images are JPEG and RAW, and the format for videos is MPEG-4AVC/H.264 (up to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels/30fps). The camera has an electronic image stabilization function. It supports microSD memory cards as recording media.

When its built-in lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery is fully charged, the camera can take about 320 images. The battery is charged via a microUSB port.



Prior to the commercialization of the camera, Olympus Imaging lent a prototype of the product to some developers for free. This time, as results of the lending, the company showed (1) a system that moves the camera on a rail for shooting, (2) system to be installed in a tourist resort for taking commemorative pictures, (3) system to be attached to a human body for taking selfies, (4) suction pad- and block-like attachments to be attached to the back side of the camera"s body, etc.