The Ubiquitous Showcase provides an introduction to the essence of ubiquitous computing currently promoted by T-Engine Forum and Ubiquitous ID Center. This year's Showcase includes exhibits illustrating the development of a more detailed understanding of ubiquitous technologies, from the fundamentals of ubiquitous ID technologies through applications, the methods of use, and activities such as corporations with outside consorciums and standardization organizations.
The showcase introduces the platform technologies as an infrastructure to build applications such as Ubiquitous Space Platform, Ubiquitous Tracing Platform, and Ubiquitous Furusato Tour, the feasibility study experiments and projects in the "Free Mobility Assistance Project" being conducted throughout Japan, and "Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project," etc.
Ubiquitous Space Platform
"Ubiquitous Spatial Data Infrastructure Council" is composed of the private sector from various industries such as distribution, IT, real estate, and telecom carrier, local governments, and as observers, central governments such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The Council examines "Ubiquitous Space Platform," which is the system to be used for various applications that are implemented by assigning a code (ucode) to each place which has some business context such as the floor of a building or commercial facility, the section of a factory, and the shelf of a warehouse. The typical example of this system is the postal code. The current post code can identify only a town and block. The case for the application of "micro postal code," which is a detailed post code that can identify smaller units by the use of "Ubiquitous Space Platform," is exhibited.
Ubiquitous Tracing Platform
We introduce "Ubiquitous Tracing Platform (UTP)," which enables us to trace all the information in the life cycle of a product from the upstream process to the downstream process comprehensively like "when it was manufactured by whom, and where it is now through which distribution route, etc." We further introduce "Food Traceability System," "Inventory Management System," and "Traceability Management System of Housing Components," as its applications. UTP realizes the maintenance/management of the history of various "objects" including food and industrial products. For the reason, its application in various fields is expected.
Ubiquitous Furusato Tour
From the latter half of this year to the next year, the tourism infrastructure system using ucodes will be used by eight local governments that have participated in "e-Regional Resources Utilization Project" of Japan Foundation For Regional Vitalization (commonly called Furusato Foundation). The project shares and publish information through regional cooperation and is based on the common theme in the tourism field. We introduce this infrastructure system (Ubiquitous Furusato Tourism System) and exhibit its application in each region.
Ongoing Projects
We exhibit the major examples of ongoing projects utilizing ucodes and ubiquitous ID information infrastructure including "Ubiquitous Art Tour" at Tokyo Midtown, "Art Museum Ubiquitous Guide System" at Aomori Museum of Art, "I Garden (Flower and Plant Guide Tour)" at Isetan, "Zoological Garden Ubiquitous Guide" at Ueno Onshi Zoological Garden, "Botanical Garden Ubiquitous Guide" at Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden, "Flashing Tag" by Toho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., "Cyber Concrete" by Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd, and "Universal Guidance System" at the University of Tokyo, etc.
Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project
"Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project" is the project conducted by the executive committee consisting mainly of representatives of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in cooperation with the Free Mobility Assistance Project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism since FY2005. In "Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project," the private sector as well as the public sector has worked together towards the realization of a ubiquitous network environment which can be achieved by integrating complex technologies and elements. We introduce Ginza as an application implemented by both private and public sectors in cooperation (Photo 1).
Photo 1: Experiment image of Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project
Free Mobility Assistance Project
We introduce the outline of the feasibility study experiment of the Free Mobility Assistance Project conducted throughout Japan for the future infrastructure development and practical application in cooperation with local governments sponsored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Photo 2). You can look at the information actually provided in each experiment area on the screen of a Ubiquitous Communicator (UC).
Photo 2: Demonstrative experiment of free mobility assistance project (photo in Shizuoka)
Other Feasibility Study Projects
We introduce "Disaster Information Collection through Communications between Ubiquitous Communicators and Satellite" by JAXA, "FY2007 Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, Ohta Market – Food Distribution Streamlining/New Technology Establishment Activity Feasibility Project" and "FY2008 Yokohama Nanbu Market - Food Distribution Streamlining/New Technology Utilization Business Model Feasibility Projects" by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
e-Space
We introduce "e-Space," an information infrastructure which provides users with high value-added space by offering information on "only for now, only for here, and only for you". Adding value is done by the creation of new values by linking one piece of information to another. We introduce new technologies to contribute to realizing innovation. We also exhibit the outline of next-generation e-Space Tourism/Playing in Town Model Service.
Common Pass for Construction Workers
The Common Pass for Construction Workers, which is common to construction workers of various companies, uses one electronic tag to permits the entry management of a construction site, workers’ accident safeguards based on the career record management, and the streamlining of worker registration (Figure 3). This corner introduces the possibility of the common pass for construction workers and the secure platform, "eTRON", which is used in this pass.
Figure 3: Common pass for Construction Workers
