Development of a New Wireless Motion Measurement System for Motion Analysis in Sports and Industrial Applications
Seiko Epson has announced the development of a new easy to use wireless motion measurement system which can be attached to an individual or object to gather and analyze motion oriented data type from sports as well as other type of activities. The newly developed M-Tracer motion measurement system combines a highly accurate Epson’s inertial measurement unit (IMU) along with analytical 3D visualization software capable processing kinetic motion data which is captured by IMU. Typically, manufactures of digital camera and other electronic equipment use gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers as well as other type of sensors for measuring inertial motion in such equipment, however, incorporating such sensors in to products to effectively use sensor functions requires sophisticated arithmetic processing and special knowledge, a hampering factor to bring the benefit of highly accurate sensors to areas such as sports, rehabilitation, and industrial applications. Read more
Development of Semiconductor Marking System Based on Inkjet Printing Method
Seiko Epson has announced the release and sale of new semiconductor marking system which works based on inkjet printing system. The system will be used to print identification data, such as manufacturer’s name or a production number, on the surface of a semiconductor package. This fast printing method will protect the IC chip inside, contrary to conventional method which uses engraving using laser cutter. The new method is ideal dealing with marking the smaller and thinner semiconductor without any risk of damaging the IC chip inside the package. The new IP-2000 is based on Epson’s proprietary Micro Piezo technology where it prints directly onto semiconductor packages by applying high-visibility white UV cured ink which is also developed by Epson. Read more
World’s First HTPS Panels for 3D 3LCD Projectors by EPSON
One of the most commonly method in displaying 3D images is called “frame-sequential 3D”, which requires the viewer to wear special glasses equipped with lenses that server as active shutters which would alternately block and transmit light. This method will display on a screen a series of alternating frames, where each frame carries an image destined for either the right or left eye. The active shouter glasses are synchronized with the displayed images so that only the right shutter is open when the frame for the right eye is displayed and only the left shutter is open when the frame for the left eye is displayed. This rapid alternation of the frames provides a sense of depth to the viewer, perceiving the images in 3D. Having said that, one of the major issues with “frame-sequential 3D” format occurs in an ordinary LCD panel, where both shutters at some point in time need to be closed for a certain period of time to stop the viewer seeing the overlapped left and right images, causing the degradation of image brightness if both shutters are closed for a long period of time. To solve this problem, the developers of such system increased the refresh rate to 240 Hz, which translates to 240 frames per second. However the consumer still expressed dissatisfaction with quality of image brightness in spite of higher refresh rate. Read more
Development of Image Enhancement IC Capable of Automatically Controlling LCD Panel Backlighting
Seiko Epson has announced the development of image enhancing IC for use in medium and small-size liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. The new S2D13782F IC is capable of reducing the level of power consumption in LCD panels while simultaneously correcting the picture quality in achieving rich colorful display. The new IC has been designed based on AME2EX (Auto Movie Enhancement 2 Extend) image enhancement technology, capable of reducing the power consumption by as much as 30 to 50% through control of backlighting in real-time to an appropriate level based on PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). Read more
Development of Two New Series of Sensing Platforms by Epson
E-Series Sensing Platform
Release of a New Low Power and Compact Inertial Measurement Unit for Industrial Products
Seiko Epson has developed a new low power inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a compact form factor offering an accurate and stable measurement. IMUs are designed to measure accurately sense inertial motion from slight inclination to large movements. They are traditionally embedded into specialized equipment in aerospace applications as well as other type of applications requiring accurate, stable measurement of inertial measurement. But key in successful application of IMU devices into industrial products in addition to be accurate and stable, is to be smaller and draw less power. Read more
Launch of Industry’s First Automatic Printer Driver Download Service for Linux OS
Seiko Epson and AVASYS have joint hand to introduce industry’s first service for printer manufacturer that would allow an automatic downloading of printer drivers through simple connection of an Epson inkjet printer with a PC running Linux OS. The new service will start at the end of April 2011, allowing automatic downloads of printer drivers for a total of 268 Epson inkjet printer models launch since 2005. The new service will ease the burden of manual download of appropriate driver from AVASYS website for Epson printers using PCs running Linux OS. Read more
Release of New 16-bit Microcontroller for Segmented Electronic Paper Display by Epson
Seiko Epson has made an announcement on release of new 16-bit microcontroller with a built-in driver, optimized for use in small and medium sized segmented electronic paper displays (EPDs), like E-Ink SURF™. EPD is a fast growing market thanks to huge demand for products such as e-books. EPD offers a high contrast, flexibility, image stability as well as low power consumption, making it ideal replacement to liquid crystal display in many segmented display applications. The new S1C17F57 microcontroller comes with standard functions such memory (ROM and RAM), timers, and serial interfaces. Read more
Development of Industry’s First Reflective HTPS TFT Liquid crystal Panels by Seiko Epson
Seiko Epson has made an announcement on release of world’s first reflective high temperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT liquid crystal panels for 3LCD projectors. The new display panel supports full HD contents and it measures only 0.74 inches on the diagonal. The new panels fuse the reflective display technology with the HTPS technology, providing a device level contrast ratio of 100,000:1 or higher, and ability of providing natural looking images and rich gradations. Read more
