26/12/2022
Kyoto Nishiki Market Promotion Association
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
The Kyoto Nishiki Market Promotion Association (Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; President: Nobuyuki Hatsuda; hereinafter “Nishiki Market”) and Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Head office: Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture; President: Norio Nakajima; hereinafter “Murata”) are working in partnership to turn Nishiki Market, which is known as “Kyoto's Kitchen,” into a smart shopping arcade. The initiative is made possible thanks to the Subsidy for Emergency Support Projects in the Revitalization of Local Commerce in Kyoto Prefecture and the Subsidy for Projects Supporting the Adoption of Cashless Payment/Digital Transformation in Shopping Arcades and Other Retail Facilities in Kyoto City.
Nishiki Market and Murata will install Murata’s AIRSual devices at eight locations around the market, and they will be operated by both companies. As the goal is to create a smart shopping arcade, in addition to AIRSual, crowd sensors and digital signage will be introduced, improving convenience for visitors by visualizing crowd levels and air quality. Crowd sensors are able to detect the amount of people, the direction of their movement, and the average time they spend in a specified area, thereby making it possible to know the flow of people, and what areas are congested. Images are processed locally in the sensor, and are not recorded or stored anywhere, thereby protecting privacy.
Murata and Nishiki Market carried out a trial from December 2021 to March 2022 in which they sought to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection through the visualization and monitoring of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, and they demonstrated that they were able to measure carbon dioxide concentrations accurately and carry out adequate ventilation.
Crowd sensors
The carbon dioxide concentration and crowd levels obtained by AIRSual and the crowd sensors will be displayed on digital signage together with event information and cautions such as no eating while walking around the market. Initially, free-standing versions of the signage will be trialled, then, once their effectiveness has been ascertained, permanent digital signage will be hung in three locations around the market.
Visualization of carbon dioxide concentration
Visualization of crowd levels
Nishiki Market and Murata have already begun to consider how best to utilize the data and its practical applications. To further advance the capabilities of the smart shopping arcade, the two companies will coordinate with the Kyoto Big Data Utilization Platform* and work to improve convenience for visitors.
* A platform made up of a wide variety of players from the public and private sectors, including universities, research institutes, companies, tourism associations, DMOs, and local authorities. The platform, which collects and utilizes open/closed data, provides a framework for venture companies to create new services and form alliances, with the aim of revitalizing industries and, ultimately, creating an ultra-convenient smart society based on data utilization. Click to learn more. （Available in Japanese only）
Related sites
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Murata in Brief
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world.
For more information, visit Murata's website