As many of you will have seen on Inter Sony Global or through press coverage, at this year's CES, I highlighted Sony's evolution as a "Creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology."

Jim Ryan, President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment	David Mazza, CTO, NBC Sports Group

For this blog, I want to share my thoughts and consideration I put into our CES press conference including VISION-S and our "contribution to the evolution of mobility", which drew large attention and something I imagine you are keen to learn more about.

* Click here to watch a video of the press conference.

■ Mobility: The Next Megatrend

As I noted in my press conference speech, "mobile," that is to say, the smartphone, was the megatrend that most impacted people's lives over the past decade. And I believe that the next megatrend will be mobility.

Sony has been a major contributor to the evolution of the mobile phone through our CMOS image sensor technology. That is apparent in the way that interpersonal communication has expanded from audio and text to encompass pictures and video.

■ Contributing to Mobility through Sony's Imaging and Sensing Technologies

This CES, we underlined our intention to contribute to the evolution of mobility, the next big megatrend, primarily in the area of automobile safety through Sony's imaging and sensing technologies, and put forward technologies such as:

・Automotive CMOS image sensors: CMOS image sensors which achieve high sensitivity, high definition and high dynamic range while also suppressing LED flicker^*1 to deliver accurate object recognition.

・Solid State LiDAR^*2: Silicon-based LiDAR that uses highly accurate distance measurement to gain a precise 3D grasp of real-life spaces.

・Sensor fusion^*3: Merges the capabilities of sensors of varied attributes to enable early and accurate recognition.

・Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensing solutions to improve safety and comfort inside the vehicle

*1: Fluctuations that occur in LED light and signal transmission.
*2: Light Detection and Ranging
*3: Technology that improves recognition accuracy and speed by combining various different sensing devices.

■ VISION-S

VISION-S is a concept that demonstrates the contributions Sony is able make to the evolution of mobility, including safety. The prototype vehicle we unveiled gave a shape to this concept. VISION-S is comprised of the following three elements:

Safety: Contributing to automobile safety by harnessing imaging and sensing technologies.

Entertainment: Redefining the in-cabin mobility experience as an entertainment space through 360 Reality Audio and more, with safety as a prerequisite.

Adaptability: Software designed car, where various functions including safety and entertainment features are updated according to societal shifts and technological advancements.

At this moment, Sony has no plans to mass produce cars, but by creating this prototype, we were able to build partnerships with companies in the automobile industry and further enrich on our own base of knowledge. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in bringing this project to life within such a tight schedule and making the necessary preparations for our successful showing at CES.

■ Contributing to the Environment through Mobility

I also believe that our contributions to the evolution of mobility will, from a long-term perspective, also contribute to the Earth's environment.

In addition to the rise of electric vehicles, the next generation of mobility is also expected to be characterized by a shift towards mobility as a service, or MaaS. Both of these will lead to a decrease in the environmental burden caused by automobiles. There is also the concept of the "smart grid," which seeks to cut down on the overall generation of electricity by leveling out power consumption within particular regions. And, electric vehicles could become a key component of these smart grids.

How much we can contribute to the Earth's environment through technology, is one of Sony's most crucial missions and the reason behind my use of the phrase "Sony and the Planet Earth".

■ Contributing to Society through the Sony Open in Hawaii

Following CES, I made my way from Las Vegas to Honolulu, where I took part in the 22nd annual Sony Open in Hawaii (SOIH). Our sponsorship of this event has an element of branding activity, but I consider the fundamental principles behind our continued support of SOIH to be the contributions it makes to society.

Through our partnership with Friends of Hawaii Charities, a local NPO, the proceeds of the tournament and related charity events have been channeled back to nearly 350 charitable organizations over SOIH's 22-year history.

Additionally, this year's SOIH was also honored by the attendance of Dr. Tasuku Honjo, a Distinguished Professor at Kyoto University. In 2018, Dr. Honjo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for his groundbreaking discoveries in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Alongside Dr. Honjo and the Governor and First Lady of Hawaii.

As we enter a new year, my first blog for 2020 focuses on Sony's contributions to the environment and society through our technology and corporate initiatives. I look forward to working alongside all of you across the Sony Group again this year as we engage in our business activities with the aim of creating new social value.