Corporate
Profile

[Company strength]
We applied the results of research by Ritsumeikan University to solve technical problems in 3D recognition for the first time in the world. Our TVS Series is the world’s first full-fledged 3D robot vision sensor, and it went on the market on March 1, 2011. We have helped many major manufacturers in their factory automation efforts by developing optimal products based on our hands-on experience in the field. This has been done in technology partnerships with world-class industrial robot manufacturers such as Yasukawa Electric Mfg., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Denso, Mitsubishi Electric, Fanuc, Nachi-Fujikoshi, and ABB. In March 2015 our company increased its capital through cash contributions from Toyota Tsusho, Omron Ventures, and SMBC Venture Capital. 

[Business description]
Our company conducts R&D, productization, and sales of measurement systems and recognition systems that make use of three-dimensional measurement and recognition technologies. Our products include TVS Series 3D robot vision sensors, which feature distinctive recognition capabilities for parts in bulk. This allows industrial robots at production sites in Japan or overseas to have eyes and brains, thereby realizing manufacturing line automation (such as feeding, assembly, processing, and transportation of parts). This product has been delivered mainly to the automobile industry, as well as to major manufacturers of electrical machinery, foods, construction materials, and industrial devices. We reinforced the product’s functions based on customer feedback, and have received positive evaluations from many companies. 

[Industry]
Manufacturing

[Strength of products/technologies]
The brain of an industrial robot is expected to intelligently control the robot’s movement, based on feedback from its eyes (vision sensors). In our technology we have treated this as a search problem in 6D space, which we have formalized. Quick calculations are performed on parts position information coming from the eyes so as to recognize the accurate positions of individual parts in bulk. These parts are also made of different materials and have different shapes and sizes. This accurate position recognition regarding parts is the strong point of our products and technology. The recognition cycle time for work in bulk can be as quick as 0.8 seconds. This is the fastest 3D vision sensor product in the industry. 

[Representative's message]
Our company’s underlying belief in our R&D activities is that all manual labor in factories is sure to be replaced by intelligent robots someday. This is why we continue to focus on developing intelligent robot technology, while reinforcing our technical support for our customers. All of our sales representatives have an engineering background, and are capable of technical support. We plan to work with trading companies, robot manufacturers, and robot system integrators to develop the market, and promote intelligent industrial robots. We hope to help enhance Japan’s competitiveness in the global arena for further growth of the industrial sector. 

[Company structure for market development/overseas expansion]
We set up our Kanto sales office (Omiya Ward, Saitama City) and Chubu sales office (Nagoya City) in September 2015 to develop domestic Japanese sales channels and provide user support. We cover Western Japan with extended support from our Kansai sales group (Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture) in order to establish a national sales network. We have two sales representatives for China to work in cooperation with local subsidiaries of Japanese trading companies so we can acquire customers. We are also developing products for overseas plants of Japanese companies. This is based on their language requirements and overseas sales standards. 

[Market share/Ranking]
We have acquired the largest share of the domestic Japanese market (source: 2015 research by Fuji Keizai).

[Awards and media coverage]
[Awards]
5th Robot Award, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency’s Director-General’s Award (2012); 13th Award for Distinguished Service in Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration, METI Minister’s Award (2015).

[Media]
Nikkei newspaper (November 14, 2013); Nihon Sangyo Shimbun (November 5, 2013); Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (April 8, 2015); many others. 


[Joint research and development]
Asahikasei AGMS: Joint development of 3DM-VirtualScanner® Apparel Edition R2 and 3DM-PhotoVectorizer CAD data entry systems (January 2004)
Nissha Printing: Joint development of Arcvista image distortion correction software, which was launched in July 2005.
NEC and TRI: Joint development of a 3D measurement and image acquisition system in May 2008, which was later introduced at vehicle inspection facilities throughout Japan. 


[Intellectual property]
Pending applications: Control Unit Based on Object Recognition, 3D Object Inspection Equipment, Analysis System, Automatic Program Generation System, Robot System, and Method and Apparatus for Picking Workpieces from the Z Direction.
Granted patents: Patent Nos. 4649554, 4649559, 4677536, 4940461, and 4940461.


[Main Clients / Business History (domestic)]
Our products have been introduced and are in operation in industrial robot picking systems in parts manufacturing processes in many industries: automobile manufacturers such as Toyota Motor, Fuji Heavy Industries, Nissan Motor, Mazda Motor, Daihatsu Motor, and Honda Motor; electrical machinery manufacturers such as Panasonic, NEC, Mitsubishi Electric, Omron, Hitachi Appliances, and Canon; food manufacturers such as Kewpie; auto parts manufacturers such as Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, Yorozu, Musashi Seimitsu Industry, NSK, Gohsyu, Fuji Seimitsu); and construction material manufacturers (such as YKK, YKK AP).

[Main Clients / Business History (overseas)]
We have started to prepare for overseas sales planned for September 2015. We are currently receiving an increasing number of business inquiries from Chinese and Korean companies, many of which are expected to bring in revenue in 2016.