Touchless Aerial Display Technology Adopted by Sakai Town Office for Ticket Machines

Asukanet Co., Ltd. (Hiroshima, Hiroshima; President: MATSUO Yuji), MIRAIBAR Inc. (Yatsushiro, Kumamoto; Chief Executive Officer: TAMAMIZU Haruki) and Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: HASHIMOTO Osamu) today announced that their jointly developed touchless aerial display solution has been adopted for use at Sakai Town Office (Mayor: HASHIMOTO Masahiro) in Ibaraki Prefecture. Ticket machines using the technology were installed at a service desk for local citizens on May 18.

Intended for use by local citizens wishing to complete such procedures as notifying the town of a change of residence or applying to register their official seal, the ticket machines feature a display that appears to float in midair. Without actually touching the screen, the user can “press” the midair button for the department handling the relevant procedure, upon which the machine prints out a number indicating the user’s place in the queue for that department. Sakai’s decision to adopt the technology was motivated by the recognition that touchless displays could help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The project partners intend to work with Sakai as it considers the introduction of these displays at other municipal facilities in the town.

The three companies aim to continue collaborating in efforts to resolve the challenges faced by customers in a variety of sectors, including local government, hotels, food distribution and real estate.

Aerial displays

Aerial displays project holographic images in mid-air, enabling users to operate touch screens without physically touching them. The unit consists of (1) a display, (2) an optical element (aerial display plate) and (3) sensor modules.

Division of roles

Asukanet	Developing, manufacturing and selling aerial display plates; developing the aerial display plates used in the ticket machines
MIRAIBAR	Developing, manufacturing and selling aerial display modules; developing the aerial display modules used in the ticket machines
Mitsui Chemicals	Developing, manufacturing and selling the Struct Bond™ adhesive used in the aerial display plates; jointly developing the aerial display modules used in the ticket machines and providing project leadership and technical support

Mitsui Chemicals’ Struct Bond™ sealant

Mitsui Chemicals develops, produces and sells Struct Bond™, a sealant used in liquid crystal, OLED, aerial and various other displays. For the aerial displays, the Struct Bond™ XMF range has been used in Asukanet’s ASKA3D plate. Boasting outstanding levels of transparency and able to accommodate the refractive index of layers of resin pasted together, the Struct Bond™ XMF sealant contributes to the high-resolution holographic images generated by ASKA3D.　

*Product site：Click here

Company profiles:

Asukanet Co., Ltd. https://aska3d.com/en/company.html

Asukanet has three key areas of business: photo books, funeral-related services and aerial displays. Asukanet’s aerial display business is centered on the ASKA3D plate, a special panel made from glass or resin through which an image is projected, creating an identical holographic image in mid-air at the same distance from the plate as the distance between the plate and display screen on the other side. Asukanet’s aerial display technology has been granted a patent due to its employing a new approach, which differs completely from those used in conventional holograms and integral imaging.

MIRAIBAR Inc. https://www.mirai-bar.co.jp/

MIRAIBAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kanda Kogyo Co. Ltd. that designs, develops and sells IoT devices and also designs and sells MIRAI PIX aerial displays. The subsidiary is in charge of Kanda Kogyo’s production division. Kanda Kogyo’s principal business is the assembly and processing of electronic components, and the company’s display-related businesses have shipped more than 400 million units. Applying the processing technologies it has developed to date, Kanda Kogyo has succeeded in developing high-quality aerial displays delivering higher intensity holographic images. In an effort to strengthen its production division, Kanda Kogyo has acquired motor control technology by bringing Vanguard Systems Inc. into its corporate group.

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en/

Mitsui Chemicals is a chemical company whose main business sectors are Life & Healthcare, Mobility, ICT and Basic & Green Materials. Following the 2021 launch of its VISION 2030 Long-Term Business Plan, Mitsui Chemicals is transitioning beyond the supply of materials to a perspective that encompasses social challenges. Rather than focusing solely on materials development, Mitsui Chemicals aims to help in advancing the technologies of its customers and society as a whole by offering a variety of solutions.