According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Zetta, a spinout from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, also known as Tokyo Tech, has developed a nonwoven nanofiber material that can be washed repeatedly without losing its ability to protect the wearer from viruses. The startup, based in the western Japanese city of Matsuyama, plans to get into the business of making masks from the high-tech fabric.
Zetta will begin by making and marketing sheets designed to be attached to cloth masks. It will then work with a manufacturer to develop high-grade masks for health care workers.
The company is taking part in a national effort in Japan to ensure that doctors, nurses and others at risk of infection by the new coronavirus have the protection they need. The battle against the virus that causes COVID-19 will be a long one. Zetta is gearing up to commercialize its nonwoven nanofiber, dubbed Z-Mask.
The nanofiber has a diameter of 0.08 to 0.4 micrometers (millionths of a meter). That is less than one-tenth the size of an N95 respirator's fibers, which are designed to block at least 95% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 micrometers across. The materials used to make N95 masks have fiber diameters of 3 to 5 micrometers.
The Z-Mask can block viruses smaller than 0.1 micrometer, such as the new coronavirus using the intermolecular forces that mediate interactions between molecules, including molecular attraction.
In an experiment conducted by the government-run New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, the Z-Mask was able to catch nearly 100% of particles roughly the same size as the coronavirus.
N95 masks generally use static electricity in the fibers to attract particles like a magnet. After several hours of continuous use, the performance of such masks starts to decline because of the effect of the wearer's moist breath. Health care workers typically must replace N95 respirators several times a day, one reason for the shortage of such masks in hospitals.
Because the Z-Mask uses molecular attraction to catch viruses, its performance does not deteriorate unless the fiber is broken, according to the company. In an experiment carried out by Zetta, the mask retained its ability to filter out particles even after it was hand-washed 100 times with detergent.
The Z-Mask catches molecules, so washing it does not remove the viruses trapped in the material. But the viruses remaining on the mask do not enter the wearer's body and die within several days, according to the company.
Nanofibers are usually made using a technique called melt-blowing, in which a polymer is extruded through tiny nozzles surrounded by gas blowing at high speed to form non-woven sheet products.
But this method makes it difficult to produce large amounts of ultrafine fibers. Zetta developed a new fabrication method by adjusting the way the blowing gas is applied to the material. The company's proprietary equipment can churn out nanofibers smaller than 0.4 micrometer in diameter more than 100 times faster than the conventional melt-blowing method.
As early as this month, the company plans to begin selling sheets made from high-tech fiber for attachment to masks made of cotton and other materials that are far less effective than an N95 respirator in screening out particles.
It intends to sell the product online for around 2,500 yen (US$ 23) per sheet. The company's factory in Matsuyama can produce 1.6 million sheets a month at present. Zetta is also considering providing production equipment and expertise to other manufacturers for a fee.
It has already received inquiries from a major maker of materials and a manufacturer of sanitary paper products. It plans to supply the high-performance fabric to domestic mask makers to develop reusable masks for health care workers.
Zetta was born out of a joint project by Tokyo Tech and NEDO to develop new nanofiber production technology. The company was founded in 2011 by Mitsuhiro Takahashi, Zetta's chairman, who was previously a researcher with Panasonic, and Akihiko Tanioka, a Tokyo Tech professor emeritus and board member.
The company's sales reached 280 million yen in the year through October 2019. For the year to October 2021, it has set a sales target of 300 million yen.
"We hope to contribute to solving the current mask shortage with our nanofiber, which can be used for a very long time," said Takahashi.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Tokyo-university-startup-develops-coronavirus-catching-fabric
 
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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/8380436.html
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According to The Australian Financial Review, CSIRO-backed deep tech venture capital fund Main Sequence Ventures has invested $4 million in a newly formed start-up, spun out of multinational construction and engineering company Laing O'Rourke, which aims to use artificial intelligence to make construction and mining worksites safer.
Presien was cofounded by Kieran MacKenzie and Nathan Kirchner, who built the workplace safety product while working in Laing O'Rourke's research and development division.
The so-called Toolbox Spotter employs Artificial Intelligence (AI) vision systems based on deep convolutional neural networks, using sensors mounted on the side of heavy vehicles and machinery on worksites. It means vehicles can recognise people, vehicles and other objects working in blindspots and warn drivers about potential accidents.
Presien's product is already used by clients such as Transport for NSW, BHP, Fortescue Metals Group, Patrick, Queensland Rail, McConnell Dowell, Metro Trains Melbourne, Georgiou Group and Aurizon.

https://www.afr.com/technology/construction-giant-spins-out-ai-start-up-to-tackle-workplace-accidents-20200514-p54syr

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ai1239364.html 
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According to The Nikkei Asian Review, bidets are on the rise in not only America, but also Australia and elsewhere, according to Steven Scheer, president of California-based Brondell.
When Japan's Toto installed high-tech toilets at Narita Airport near Tokyo some years ago, the aim was to promote bidets by letting visitors try them upon arrival.
Electric bidets had not taken off abroad, where just 3% of U.S. households have adopted them, against an 80%-plus adoption rate in Japan.
Now a wave of momentum has come upon Japanese manufacturers as American consumers cast a fresh glance at ways to clean up without paper.
Bidets are on the rise in not only America, but also Australia and elsewhere, according to Steven Scheer, president of California-based Brondell.
Brondell, which sells bidet seats and other toilet accessories mostly in North America, saw orders triple through March and April when toilet paper vanished from store shelves. Things have settled down a little since then, but demand is still high, the company says.
And "this could be the tipping point that finally gets us to adopt the bidet," Miki Agrawal, founder and chief creative officer at add-on bidet seller Tushy, told People magazine.
Tushy offers bidet attachments starting at $79, as well as a portable alternative. Sales are now 10 times what the company had planned for, pushing it to expand production capacity.
The modern bidet seat was first popularized for medical use in the U.S. and Europe, but it never quite went mainstream in America. In Japan, however, ordinary consumers embraced the concept. More than 80% of households of two or more members now have bidet seats on their toilets.
Now, American consumers increasingly see the bidet as a hygienic and environmentally friendly alternative.
Big-name Japanese players are gearing up to take advantage. Toto has seen sales of its Washlet bidet seats double on the year in the January-March period. It aims to sell more than 2 million units overseas in fiscal 2022 -- triple the fiscal 2017 figure.
Lixil Group has made aggressive inroads into the field since acquiring American Standard in 2013. It launched an online campaign in March promoting its bidets as an alternative to toilet paper, doubling U.S. sales on the year that month.
But the pandemic has proved a mixed blessing. Toto suffered temporary disruptions at key production facilities due to parts shortages. Sales networks in U.S. urban areas have ground to a halt as residents stay home.
The global market for bidets will reach nearly US$4.9 billion by the end of 2026 -- up roughly 30% from 2020 -- according to a 360 Research Reports forecast posted on the MarketWatch financial news website.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/No-toilet-paper-No-problem-Bidets-gain-new-converts-in-US

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-35216638.html 
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According to The Asahi Shimbun, prefabricated shelters are proving to be the ideal solution to a shortage of facilities around the nation to isolate COVID-19 patients.
Called EZ Dome House, the kits can be set up within 90 minutes. They occupy a space about the size of two average cars.
The domed shelters have already been introduced at hospitals in Tokyo and Yamanashi Prefecture, and are now gaining attention as the spread of the novel coronavirus claims victims at medical centers across Japan.
“The dome structure can be washed and a building confirmation application does not need to be submitted,” said Shinichi Tanigawa, head of the publicity and marketing department of Whitehouse Co., the developer of EZ Dome House. “We hope it will be used to stop the medical care system from collapsing.”
Measuring 3.3 meters in diameter and 2.6 meters in height, the round prefab has outer walls made of high-density polyethylene panels to not only better withstand rainfall but also improve soundproof and heat-retention features.
The interior is the size of four and a half tatami mats, allowing leeway to accommodate a bed and other medical devices for patients. While the standard model has one entrance and three windows, a door can be added for better ventilation.
EZ Dome House can readily be installed in and removed from parking lots and elsewhere.
The prefab buildings are marketed for 780,000 yen (US$ 7,310), excluding tax and a delivery fee, by TCL, a subsidiary of Whitehouse, a Nagoya-based imported car and auto goods retailer.
The company, headed by Fumio Kimura, said they became available last November.
Although EZ Dome House was initially pitched as a refuge during natural disasters and other emergencies, inquiries from medical institutions have been pouring in since late February as the virus spread.
Clinics and hospitals that use the shelter say it allows them to examine and diagnose those who visit with a fever by isolating them from other patients.
Whitehouse is promoting its dedicated shelters to municipal governments as a means to isolate COVID-19 patients in the event a natural disaster strikes that generates a flood of evacuees during the pandemic.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13337291

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/8731841.html 
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According to The Australian Financial Review, surging iron ore prices are breathing life back into marginal Australian iron ore projects as expectations grow that Brazilian exports could be weaker for longer.
Buoyant iron ore futures were on last Tuesday suggesting the 17 per cent rally in iron ore prices since April 30 have further to run, with the steel-making ingredient on track to test the $US100 per tonne threshold later last week.
Benchmark iron ore prices were 3.4 per cent higher at $US96.84 on last Tuesday morning, driving gains of close to 5 per cent in the share prices of iron ore miners Fortescue Metals, Rio Tinto, BHP, Mineral Resources and Mt Gibson Iron.

https://www.afr.com/companies/mining/iron-ore-rally-tempts-marginal-miners-back-to-market-20200519-p54ufz

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6708245.html

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, one robot can use a toilet brush to scrub porcelain bowls all by itself. Another lets humans work on faraway assembly lines with fine motor skills, thanks to virtual reality gloves.
Avatars, or remotely controlled robots, are gaining traction as the COVID-19 pandemic turns even the most mundane tasks into risky undertakings.
The machines have mostly handled less-tactile functions until now, such as communications, monitoring and transportation. But Japanese developers are leveraging their strengths to take the technology to another level.
Mira Robotics carried out tests this March with its toilet-cleaning robot in collaboration with western Japan's Oita Prefecture. The robot can work on its own or via remote control.
The robot adroitly handled the toilet brush. Human staffers needed only check monitors and intervene remotely if necessary.
Janitorial crews stand to spend less time cleaning the restroom, lowering their risk of infection. The Kawasaki-based company has also developed a robot whose arms can emit ultraviolet light to sterilize doorknobs and other surfaces.
Meltin MMI, headquartered in Tokyo, is developing an industrial robot whose arms can be remotely controlled by humans wearing interface gloves.
The newest version of its Meltant robot, unveiled in late March, can handle power tools with a human's fine touch. Meltin plans tests at construction sites and plants. The avatar can be operated remotely in places as far-flung as the U.S. or Abu Dhabi.
Sony and airline group ANA Holdings said that they have agreed to jointly develop avatars through group companies.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Pandemic-era-robots-shop-talk-and-even-clean-the-loo

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/2273946.html?lang=ja 
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According to The Australian Financial Review, Sunshine Coast tourism operator Aldy Johnston remembers the exact moment the phones starting ringing again to book accommodation at their "Secrets on the Lake" holiday cabins, near Montville.
After two months of cancelled bookings or refunds, there was finally a glimmer of hope last Friday when Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the three-stage road map out of coronavirus lockdowns.
A press conference by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk followed soon after and then the phone calls and emails started up again – and they haven't stopped since.
The date June 12 was marked in the diary. That's when overnight accommodation will be allowed again at their 11 cabins on Lake Baroon, five minutes drive out of Montville, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
"Last week it suddenly got hugely busy with people inquiring or wanting to book. It's all turned around and I'm no longer anxious about the bank balance," Ms Johnston told AFR Weekend.

https://www.afr.com/companies/tourism/the-phones-are-ringing-again-for-qld-tourism-operators-20200515-p54tcf

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6457796.html?lang=ja

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan took another step toward building technology-enabled "super cities," with legislation set to pass that will help advance local plans by lowering regulatory hurdles.
Such smart cities, under Japan's Super City Initiative, use artificial intelligence and big data in conjunction with cutting-edge technology in areas including transportation, medicine and education to make life easier for residents.
The legislation will reduce regulatory barriers to adopting technologies such as autonomous driving, telemedicine and remote education. This follows reforms prompted by a coronavirus pandemic that have forced many normally analog fields to go digital.
The broad regulatory changes involved in building smart cities often require dealing with multiple government agencies, which can complicate discussions and even cause them to break down. The new legislation will introduce a top-down approach.
If a municipality wins approval for smart city plans from its residents and applies to the central government, the prime minister can direct agencies to make exceptions to the relevant regulations as needed. The city will be required to disclose the details of its systems to make it easier to share data.
The government will begin taking applications from municipalities as early as next month, with approvals starting in the summer. The city and prefecture of Osaka will consider using the measure for flying cars and drones around the site of the 2025 World Expo.
Even as lawmakers have made dealing with the coronavirus their top priority since February, the bill -- which was scrapped during last year's regular parliamentary session -- was passed by the lower house last month and is expected to be enacted this month.
This owes to recent pandemic-related developments that helped pave the way. The health ministry lifted a ban last month on doctors seeing first-time patients online, while a broad shutdown of schools has fueled demand for remote education. It has become increasingly important for the government to bring such issues under one administrative roof.
Incorporating these points into the smart city policy allows the government to fold deregulation into its preexisting plans.
Regulatory reform during the outbreak should be "implemented gradually beginning with what we can start on now," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a meeting last month of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy.
There are concerns that given lawmakers' focus on tackling the coronavirus, passing the smart-city legislation could hurt the prospects of other business-related bills this session. Parliament had passed only 22 of the 56 bills put before it as of Tuesday, and the session is due to end June 17.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Coronavirus-pushes-Japan-closer-to-high-tech-super-cities
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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/2582090.html?lang=ja
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According to The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese researchers here developed a face mask that can be washed repeatedly and is touted as being able to render viruses inactive.
Kazuhiko Hanzawa, a specially appointed professor of vascular surgery at Niigata University, said the surgical mask can inhibit virus activity even after being washed 100 times.
Few reusable, high-performance masks are currently commercially available.
“The new mask can help prevent infection with the new coronavirus, particularly among the elderly and others who have a higher risk of suffering from serious conditions,” Hanzawa said.
The product, developed with sportswear maker Onyone in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, uses photocatalysis technology to produce active oxygen that can lower the infectious ability of a virus.
Minuscule particles of titanium oxide, which serve as a photocatalyst, are woven into the fabric.
According to Hanzawa, the fabric generates ions if exposed to infrared rays, allowing them to react with oxygen to produce hydroxyl radical, a type of active oxygen.
The double-structure mask is comprised of the photocatalyst fabric and another layer of cloth that blocks particles such as dust.
An “inner mask” to be worn below disposable or cloth masks was also developed, using the photocatalyst fabric.
The double-structure mask will be offered for sale at 2,200 yen (US$ 20.49), excluding tax, and the inner mask for 1,200 yen.
Five sports goods and other stores in Niigata Prefecture are expected to have stocks from May 16. Sales will start outside the prefecture on May 23.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13318100

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1005832044.html?lang=ja
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According to The Australian Financial Review, Australia's abundant and cheap wind and solar resources offer a historic opportunity to develop a hydrogen-based steel industry, offering a triple win for exports, jobs and emissions, according to The Grattan Institute.
The findings point to the chance for Australia to create a multibillion-dollar, export-focused manufacturing sector, at the same time saving thousands of jobs that are coming under threat from global emissions reductions imperatives.
A domestic industry that captured 6.5 per cent of the global steel market would generate about $65 billion in annual export revenue and create 25,000 manufacturing jobs in Queensland and NSW, a Grattan report published on Sunday found.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/green-steel-could-save-jobs-exports-emissions-20200508-p54r7n

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1925656.html?lang=ja
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