TOKYO -- At this year's Japan Ceatec expo, Sony Group demonstrated its strengths in semiconductor technology as it looks to expand into a wide range of businesses.
Three years ago, the Japanese conglomerate revealed its ambition to become the world leader in both imaging and sensing applications for CMOS image sensors.
The annual IT and electronics trade show, which kicked off Tuesday, will run for four days, with big Japanese electronics companies like Sony and Panasonic showcasing their latest products and services online.
Sony decided to focus on promoting its image sensor technology through 22 videos that explain its recent initiatives, including a tracking technology for sports games, a video drone for filmmakers and sensors for autonomous driving.
"Through Ceatec, we intend to provide a comprehensive view of our imaging and sensing technologies, which support a wide variety of other technologies," including fields such as mobility, a Sony representative told Nikkei Asia.
Among the products Sony introduced was its Vision-S electric vehicle, which is equipped with 40 sensors inside and outside the car to enhance automated driving safety, as well as its Safety Cocoon, a 360-degree sensor and detection system designed to identify road hazards.
The company also showcased sensor products meant to deal with various tech challenges. As digital technology reshapes business, pushing up demand for cloud based services, data centers are consuming ever-growing amounts of electricity.
Sony has developed a sensor with artificial intelligence capabilities to address this problem. The IMX500 intelligence vision sensor performs high-speed image analysis by screening and optimizing the data collected, thereby reducing transmission latency and power consumption by limiting the volume of data sent to the cloud.
Sony is also working to make its semiconductor technology indispensable to the entertainment industry. A case in point is the Airpeak S1, a camera-carrying drone equipped with the latest sensor technology. The drone not only captures vivid images but is equipped with flight stabilizers. Its vision sensing processor also allows the drone to navigate with high precision.
Sony controls around 50% of the global market for the image sensors used in smartphones. However, the company hopes to do more, leveraging its sophisticated CMOS image sensor technology to develop new products and services for industrial use.
Sony's efforts to develop its sensor technology is fueling its appetite for computer chips.
Last week, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's biggest contract chipmaker, announced plans to build its first plant in Japan. Nikkei previously reported that Sony will jointly invest in the plant, which will be built in Kumamoto Prefecture, in western Japan, on land near a chip factory owned by Sony, which is TSMC's biggest Japanese client.
Sony did not hold a news conference at Ceatec and has yet to comment on TSMC's plans.