Building the future together with Panasonic
Collaboration and cutting-edge technology are at the heart of Panasonic’s Co-creation Programme as a collection of innovative tech offers are shortlisted for commercial success.
From television sets and hairdryers to efficient energy solutions in homes all over the region, Panasonic has spent the last century developing and marketing electronics in Asian markets. There is no doubt the Japanese tech giant is more than equipped with the resources and expertise needed to contribute to the growth of local enterprises in Singapore.
To do just that, in collaboration with IPI, the Panasonic Co-creation Programme was launched to offer businesses the chance to explore technology transfer and licensing opportunities with Panasonic.
For the first time, Panasonic has curated an exclusive pool of Intellectual Property (IP) open for development across industries such as infocomm, materials, personal care, energy and more. Selected enterprises will then be able to collaborate with Panasonic to bring exciting new innovations to market.
Read on to find out more about four of the tech offers shortlisted for the programme.
Building better daily experiences
Over the last two years, much of our lives have shifted to the digital space—from work and school to grocery shopping and restaurant hopping. To meet the demands of a new normal, two shortlisted tech offers have software that are designed and developed to improve convenience and productivity.
While attending classes, meetings and seminars online has allowed us to keep a sense of normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact remains that such mediums are not as engaging as meeting in person.
Designed to assess attentiveness during online engagements, the first tech offer is a software tool which enables organisers to adapt and better engage audiences through a screen. It works by detecting a user’s face orientation and distance from the computer as well as voice pitch variations and background audio noise levels to determine when the user is most engaged.
The second innovation was designed to improve convenience when eating out. With so much information available online, it is common for restaurant-goers to do a pre-visit search for a review of the establishment they are heading to. Typically, most search engines rank based on reviewers’ input or by the user’s proximity to a restaurant.
However, this restaurant search engine allows users to set specialised filtering criteria such as ratings posted by people with similar tastes or rankings made by local residents. This highly personalised method offers a unique use of available data that is tailored to improving users’ dining experiences.
A friendly eye in the sky
In the form of a floating balloon, the third shortlisted tech offer is a safety drone designed for audience engagement or aerial displays.
Compared to conventional drones with protruding metallic limbs, the safety drone system is uniquely enveloped by a helium balloon. Despite its size, with a diameter range of 1.2m to 3m, the drone’s soft curved shape looks non-threatening and the general public should feel more at ease as it flies overhead.
Additionally, because of its soft exterior, it is unlikely to cause serious injury or harm even if it falls. Acting as a shock absorber, the balloon would reduce damage to the drone inside as well.
With a taut blank canvas of up to 3m, the drone can serve multiple purposes. In a variety of events, the drone could be a display canvas for performances or advertising. It could also capture the excitement of such events by shooting dynamic aerial images.
Alternatively, it could be a useful tool for inspecting buildings and facilities during construction, keeping workmen and passers-by safe.
A winning solution for a better life
On top of improving convenience and engagement, the programme has also shortlisted a solution designed to improve the quality of life in developing countries by ensuring access to clean water.
By using a photocatalyst particle, this final technology can be applied to polluted water to detoxify dangerous trivalent arsenic. The unique structure of the photocatalysts used allows for it to be easily collected from post-treated water and reused.
Effective in a variety of applications, this innovation has the ability to remove arsenic from groundwater, freshwater and industrial wastewater, allowing it to address a multitude of needs.
With a myriad of applications around the world and the global wastewater treatment market expected to reach $41.8 billion by 2030, this tech offer could result in great business success, scalability and improved living conditions.
By supporting local enterprises as they develop cutting-edge technology, IPI and Panasonic have engineered a win-win-win situation: innovators benefit from licensing arrangements and tech transfer, Panasonic benefits from local talent and ideas, and users benefit from innovative technologies.
For more enabling technology offers, visit IPI's Innovation Marketplace here.
