Front-end Device Technology for Human Centric IoT

We are now in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), in which all information about humans, things, and the environment is digitized and connected to networks. Front-end devices in the IoT, which are provided in places where people carry out activities, play the role of acquiring data from various things in the real world, in real time, and offering the necessary services to users in a timely manner. The trends in front-end devices show that portable devices are beginning to be used for continuously acquiring information about personal health and behavior and efficiently acquiring data useful for personalized services. Meanwhile, devices placed in the environment are beginning to be used to continuously acquire environmental information at unmanned locations and times and observe the behavior of people. In response to these trends, we are developing user interface technology that uses information and communications technology (ICT) through wearable devices and technology that controls devices without requiring maintenance. This paper presents examples of our development of a glove-style wearable device, ring-type wearable devices, and a maintenance-free beacon. They have been developed with the aim of constantly supporting people's fields of activities. This paper also describes our approach to future technologies such as a boost converter for energy harvesting.