Category: 未分類

TOYOTA Smart Center 20XX

mobile, concept, future, Gadget, Design, 未分類


It’s such an honor that one of my future mobile phone concepts “Glassy Glassy” is in the TOTOTA official near future mobility life short movie!

It was aired on January 1st 2011 and you can see the movie on YouTube and GAZOO.


It depicts a smart life of a middle aged man in the near future.








I worked on this project last year and have been really excited to be able to get involved. Initially I was planning to design many other objects and gadgets in the movie (including the car), but this and that happened and the mobile phone was finally left in the end. But I’m really happy to see my concept ‘alive’ in a movie like this.

It’s been such a pleasure to be involved in projects of big-name brands such as TOYOTA and SOFTBANK. I’m hoping to have more chances to work as “concept artist”.


View it on YouTube

FiiL – Post-Touchscreen Interface Concept

Gadget, concept, future, technology, Design, 未分類

Future TUI (Tangible User Interface) mobile phone. This is a post-Looking Glass concept; I’m thinking this type of user interface will be commercialized after touchscreen hopefully within a few decades.

As matter of fact, Looking Glass has two sequels in my head.

Looking Glass –> FiiL –> ???

I’ll make a post of the 3rd concept after I make a few that introduce more application examples of FiiL.

Basically this is a touchscreen, but this mobile phone lets you “feel” what you’re touching. The flexible screen surface makes z-axis movements and takes shapes of buttons, switches and so on.

For example, you toggle a switch to unlock the phone.


Buttons are now real buttons that you can feel the height of. You also feel the pressure when you push it.

Not leveled ground can be instantly scanned and rendered on the screen, which must be helpful for visually disabled people.

Solar charging. How much is completed can be known by its shape.

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Top 10 Posts of 2010

blogging, 未分類

This year was a big one for me. I quit the previous company and started freelancing in July, which was one of the toughest decisions in my life, but I’m very sure I made a right choice. Or rather, I should have chosen this path earlier. The jobs I love, wonderful people and companies I’m working for, great business relationships, etc. etc. I can’t be happier. And I’m so honored to have a chance to work for SOFTBANK this year.

On top of that, there’s one big and exciting project I was involved in, which will be released in January at the earliest. I’m really excited but I can’t reveal it now yet.

Doing the freelance work is part of the reason why I’m making fewer posts on this blog this year; practical and promising ideas go to my client companies. I’d appreciate your understanding on that.

Any way, here are the top 10 posts made this year.

1. Funny USB Memory Stick #6 Final

2. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: January 2010

3. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: November 2010

4. World Cleanest Graffiti— iPhone App Concept

5. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: April 2010

6. Hungry Batteries: Rechargeable Battery Concept

7. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: May-June 2010

8. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: February 2010

9. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: March 2010

10. Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: August 2010

The calendar wallpapers have been unexpectedly popular, so most of the top 10 posts are about calendars. Dew and Frostie did good jobs, but are out of the running a bit.

As for wallpapers, I have been using famous quotes since last year, but I’ll change the style (not because I don’t like wallpapers with quotes but using a quote is kind of practice for me to get closer to my ideal wallpapers).

I thank all of your support and interest. I’ll be having fun again next year so come visit petitinvention regularly. I’ll also keep tweeting my thoughtsand Flickr!ing my photos.

In 2011, I’m planning to visit the U.S. (January?) and Europe (March or April). I’ll make time to meet lots of people from 2011, so if you’re there, let me know.

Thank you very much! I wish all of you a very happy new year.

Frostie – Digital Music Player Concept

music, mobile, fashion, concept, future, technology, Gadget, Design, 未分類

Have you ever tapped a table with your fingers as if you were playing the piano? Or drums? Air guitar? Yes I have and I wish there were real sound made according to the movements of my fingers.

So what about a digital music player that not only plays music like iPods, but also actually plays sounds in your mind?

If it could listen to your song and adjust the tone, it would be more fun. Auto cord sounds would be exciting.


I love music, but I’m not satisfied with a digital music player I can only carry with me. I want something that can be part of me; something that is with me all the time, gives me what I want and creates what I imagine. You know, music is not only for listening.

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Calendar Desktop Wallpaper: December 2010

未分類, Design, wallpaper, calendar

“Keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin’ it’s time to die.”
Shannon Hoon


1280x800px

2560×1600px | 2560×1440px | 1920×1200px | 1680×1050px | 1440×900px | 1024×768px | iPhone & iPod Touch (w/o calendar) 640x960px | iPhone & iPod Touch (w/o calendar) 320x480px | iPad

You’re right, no snow flake. I like snow, but I also like the sunset in winter. And I guessed you’re kind of tired of those dancing snow flakes in other wallpapers.

Chrystal Cloud

cloud computing, concept, future, technology, Gadget, Design, 未分類

I’ve been thinking about a good way to visualize “cloud”.

You can’t see cloud with the naked eye. Users are using multiple cloud computing providers and saving data here and there. On the other hand, the screen of your mobile is not large enough for you to get a good sense of the structural overview of cloud.

So I wish there were a pair of glasses or opera glasses like device that allows you to “see” and “touch” those data in the air.


When you see through the glass, you can see clouds floating in the air. Touch it and see what you have there.

The difference between the Crystal Cloud concept and the Looking Glass concept is the former is to assist your mobile computer while the latter works alone itself. And with Crystal Cloud, you can touch and control the visualized data in 3D.

For tasks other than cloud management, such as writing a document etc., send files to your mobile device. This way you can get out of the screen and use the air in front of you.

Yes, I just can’t wait to “get out” of the small screen of my iPhone.

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Tsugai

food, concept, Design, 未分類

If all of your family members use chopsticks, there are twice as many sticks as the families. You know chopsticks are usually kept apart, so you have to find right pairs among all of them for each meal.

So something to pair up the chopsticks would be useful.
Tsugai is a chopstick rest made of metal that you can also use as a chopstick bundle when put in the kitchen cabinet.

It makes the chopsticks stay afloat, so it can keep the chopsticks clean.
Inside the back of it there is a magnet, so when it stands, it sticks with another one to support each other. (It stands itself alone of course though.)

Tsugai means “a pair” in Japanese.

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