Kyoto University teams win first and second places in the National Conference on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

October 13, 2009

In the Japan preliminaries of the 1st International Contest of Applications in Nano/micro Technologies, two teams from Kyoto University won the first and second places.

This is a contest where participants create prototypes of applications using MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) devices, and the ideas and technology used are evaluated. Preliminaries are held in seven countries and regions of Japan, China, the U.S., Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with the top three teams from each of the preliminaries, a total of 21 teams, competing for the title of number one in the world at the International Contest to be held in Amoy, China, next January.

The name of application of the winning team TBT is "MEMG." It is a musical instrument using an MEMS sensor; the concept is that of an "air guitar," where actual sounds are emitted when the player makes the motion of strumming a guitar. By combining an MEMS accelerometer and a magnetic sensor, the device allows the player to determine chords and pitch with the left hand, and sound timing and volume with the right, just like a real guitar. It received enthusiastic responses, and was introduced in World Business Satellite (TV Tokyo). The content of the introduction can be seen on the website of the team's laboratory (http://www.nms.me.kyoto-u.ac.jp/).

The application name of the second place team Kyoto University Mechatronics Creators is "SkyFish." It is a three-blade boomerang that portrays a shining pattern in space. Sixteen LED light bulbs aligned on the blades are flashed based on the angular velocity signals outputted from the MEMS gyro sensor attached to the center of the boomerang, creating a selected pattern in the belt-like orbit. There is much potential for new entertainment using the SkyFish, such as depicting stars falling from the sky.

Demonstration of MEMG
SkyFish (boomerang)	SkyFish (pattern portrayed)