RE: Japanese Technology

"The United States has been looking forward and looking to using Japanese technology." -Andrew Fan

Kyoto

This quote reminds me of how Japan has the coolest technology known to human kind.  I don't even know where half of  their ideas come from.  Hating the pitching machine for hitting you too many times with baseballs?  Well, the Japanese has invented a machine in where the ball floats for you to hit it.  This technology is efficient because you can hit at a wide angle, which allows you to practice your technique.  It also moves the ball a little bit, so you have to actually concentrate to hit the ball.  The only downside of this technology is that you're not training your reflexes, as with a normal pitching machine.  However, the technology is mostly beneficial and makes a great practice for technique.



Another technology, which is not as practical, is a flying robot ball.  While you may think it's like one of those RC helicopters that you can get for $30, this thing actually costs about $1,000.   The reason for that, is that is can reach up to 40 miles per hour.  That's crazy!  Also, the controls and movement are very smooth (as seen in the video below).  The military created this technology, so that it can be used for urban reconnaissance and infiltration.  The machine has a single propeller and eight wings, and its spherical body reduces the effects of wind.  A surprising fact about the machine is that the parts are mostly from an electronics district in Akihabara, one of Japan's most famous electronics city.
Japan is one of today's most technologically advanced countries in the world.  Although their ideas seem a bit weird (I mean that in the nicest way possible), they actually improve the lives of many.  If I could choose an item from anywhere in the world, it'd probably be from Japan, just because of the huge variety and effectiveness of the technology there.