INNOVATION THROUGH RESEARCH
The Panasonic Group of Companies has Usability Centers throughout the world. In 1990, the scope of the Usability Centers was expanded to include accessibility concerns. In addition, multinational Task Forces empowered to work throughout the Panasonic Group of Companies were established in 1998 to ensure that accessible features and services continue to be developed and implemented worldwide. Synergy between the Usability Centers and Task Forces keeps our Accessibility goals sharply in focus.
The other key to successfully achieving our goals is the strength of our research and development (R&D) capabilities. Having helped lead the way in the development of DVD, SD Memory Cards, DTV and other important technology, the R&D centers of the Panasonic Group of Companies are working to make emerging technologies accessible, and to develop new technologies that aim to further enable and encourage employment, independence, and enhanced entertainment experiences for people with disabilities. Here are a few examples of activity at our labs:
[pic]Panasonic AVC American Laboratories are working to make sure that Digital TV will have enhanced captioning display capabilities.
[pic]Panasonic Information and Networking Technologies Laboratory is working on advanced applications to enable the remote control and interface of everyday devices and appliances.
[pic]Panasonic Speech Technology Laboratory has developed text to speech and speech recognition technology that we hope will evolve into the development of truly universally accessible user interfaces for many types of products.

Innovations by Panasonic's Founder
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Super Electric Iron
It was in 1927. Along with the radio, the electric iron was becoming more popular as a leading-edge consumer product in an increasingly modern age. But irons were expensive, and affordable ones were usually of inferior quality. Our efforts to develop a better, less expensive iron started with the thought that even a fledgling teacher should be able to go to work in a neatly pressed shirt. First, we employed a more solidly built mechanism for the electric heating component which had often failed. We also designed this iron so that it could be easily repaired should it break. Mass production methods, still rare in Japan at that time, were used to reduce costs. After just three months in development, the Super Electric Iron went on sale. Irons at the time cost between 5 and 8 yen for domestically manufactured models, with imports costing as much as 15 yen. But selling at just 3.2 yen, the Super Electric Iron became a huge hit, acclaimed not only for its low price, but also for its superior quality. After numerous improvements based on customer feedback, in 1930, the iron was officially designated as a "product of excellence" by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Currently the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

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Founder Konosuke Matsushita tries out an electric bicycle.
In his younger days, the founder of Panasonic worked as an apprentice in a bicycle shop, and there he developed a special attachment to bicycles. After rolling out his long wished-for, first bicycle in 1952, he continued to think about what the company could do as an electric manufacturer to contribute to the progress of bicycles, and in 1980, Japan’s first electric bicycle finally went on sale. Mr. Matsushita, who was already over eighty at the time, saw that there was a future for the electric bicycle, as it was easy to ride for even an elderly person like himself. Unlike today’s power-assisted bicycles, this first electric bicycle ran on electric power alone, and required a license to operate, limiting its potential demand. But research continued, and technology accumulated over the years finally came to fruition with the advent of the power-assisted bicycle. Today, over half of the power-assisted bicycles sold in Japan are made by Panasonic.

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