As patterns become finer, attempts are being made to form finer lines by reducing the droplet size in inkjet (IJ) printing, but the limit with conventional methods is around 50μm. To address this issue, Konica Minolta has developed a new fine patterning process with a line width of 10μm or less by applying its accumulated material and coating technologies. We have also succeeded in producing a high-definition metal mesh and has also developed a technology to improve transmittance. We will report on this fine patterning process and metal mesh generation technology.

In this study, non-destructive penetration area measurements were performed using X-ray CT (computed tomography) to elucidate the penetration behavior of pigment ink. Using an ink in which silver particles were added as pigment particles to a solution of propylene glycol mixed with a cesium iodide solution, we were able to measure the ink penetration area and the pigment particle deposition area using X-ray CT, and observed the penetration behavior of pigment inks on plain and coated paper. In particular, we examined the effect of the presence or absence of pigment particles on ink penetration. As a result, no change in the penetration area was observed on plain paper with or without pigment particles. On coated paper, however, the pigment particles penetrate into the coated layer and fill the voids in the coated layer, suppressing ink penetration and reducing the horizontal and vertical penetration areas.

This manuscript summarized the benefits and challenges arising from the swift implementation of telework during 2020, with a primary focus on the results derived from studies conducted by the authors. Interviews conducted with 56 workers who began teleworking in 2020 revealed what kind of changes in their work and personal lives they experienced as a result of teleworking. Subsequently, a survey of the 923 workers to assess the intricate interplay between changes in their work and personal lives, stress responses, and positive outcomes. Additionally, a comparative analysis was conducted to examine the correlations considering their living arrangements—those residing alone and those residing with their families. Although the greatest challenge of telework is the decline in the quality and quantity of communication, telework also has many advantages, such as making it easier to maintain a work-life balance. Teleworking is a work style that should be actively utilized in the future.

Due to the impact of the COVD-19 online communication using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, etc. has become common in various situations such as business and education. From the viewpoint of privacy protection, security, and communication load reduction, there are many scenes where communication is performed with the video turned off. When we compared the patterns of conflict of opinion in dialogue, the time it took to build consensus, and the quality of decision-making, we found that with “video off”, people began to avoid conflict of opinion caused by the diversity of members, and it took longer to reach consensus. As a result, it was concluded that the quality of decision-making deteriorated. In the future, we hope that dissemination of the results of this research will lead to smooth dialogue in situations where online communication is required, such as business and education, leading to improved productivity and the creation of innovation.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the number of online meetings held over a given period of time has significantly increased. While numerous studies have compared face-to-face and online communication, most of them have focused on text-based asynchronous online communication, and studies conducted on synchronous online communication are limited. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the existing studies on both asynchronous and synchronous online communication and present the analysis of the consensus-building process performed by the authors in relation to online and face-to-face meetings. Additionally, the results of applying Bayesian modeling and text analysis to compare the consensus-building process, as proposed by the authors, is presented and the future directions for research on online communication are discussed.

After 2020, office workers shifted to hybrid work, combining real and online work. Three years have passed since then and we have returned to daily life, but many companies continue to use hybrid work. There are various types of communication in business, including meetings, interviews, and brainstorming sessions to generate ideas. After Corona, workers usually choose the location and tools that best suit their purpose. On the other hand, there are three problems with communication in hybrid work. The first is “Decreasing quality of diversified communication,” the second is “Differences in policies and tools used across organizations,” and the third is “Difficulty in setting up places that combine tools and applications”. While hybrid work is highly convenient for workers, it is necessary to prevent the quality of communication from deteriorating for knowledge creation and motivation. The author will summarize these issues from the case study and provide a perspective on how to develop an office environment in the future.

The online communication has progressed rapidly and opportunities for communication using online platforms such as video conferencing, chat tools, and social media have greatly increased under the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Furthermore, the ease of communication with remote areas has facilitated our global interaction. In the post-corona era, remote work and flexible work styles are expected to become common. It is also important to note that the spread and development of online communication, while improving operational efficiency and the working environment, also involves increased security risks in various aspects. This paper describes our efforts to transform online communication tools and the solution tools offered by our company.

This paper discusses the use of online communication during the with-corona era, highlighting its rapid adoption due to the pandemic. While face-to-face activities are resuming, the advantages of online communication, such as flexibility in time and space, are being leveraged for regular meetings and social interactions. The author explores the current state, benefits, and challenges of telework. Konica Minolta Japan's initiatives, including optimizing site scale and embracing digital content, are also examined. The evolution of PR activities like inner communication and online business meetings is addressed. The paper delves into real-time fault handling and hybrid communication, the impact on human resources and infrastructure, and the potential and challenges for culture-building through online communication.

While reviewing the fundamental changes in “working” and “learning” caused by Covid-19, Epson's efforts to address issues arising from these decentralized and remote communication environments are explained. First, a global perspective on working from home, which has become the norm around the world, is presented. Next, we will discuss Epson's joint action with a start-up for flexible offices and co-working places, which are growing not only in urban areas but also in rural areas of Japan with the government's initiative. In addition, the report will discuss the global situation of distance learning with regional characteristics. We hope that Japanese companies will create new services and solutions for the post-Covid society and contribute to the creation of social value.

The Covid-19 caused the lockdowns in many countries and regions, and temporarily forcing people to change the workstyles. In a remote work environment called Work from Home (WFH) which has become pervasive, an emergency evacuation purchase behavior occurred to meet urgent printing needs. In the Europe and USA environment where we are mainly focused, we regard remote device management and information security as two requirements for the remote work environment, and we will introduce solutions for them.

Short meetings, such as morning assemblies, are widely implemented as a means of communication in organizational activities. Benefits include information sharing among organization members and enabling leaders to grasp members' statuses. However, with the increasing adoption of remote work, it has become more challenging to understand members' conditions in online meetings compared to traditional ones. Against this backdrop, we developed a support solution that enables members to understand team conditions during online assemblies and assists team leaders in noticing changes among members. This solution uses only video and audio during online meetings, analyzing members' behaviors such as nods, smiles, and linguistic features, visualizing team and member statuses, and providing advice for improvement and encourages behavioral changes in leader. This article introduces the development history and technical features of this solution, as well as the results of evaluation experiments.

Due to the corona crisis that started in 2019, the work style has significantly changed, and remote work at home has quickly become popular. Meeting style has changed from the traditional style taken place in a conference room to the style using enterprise SNS system and web conferencing system, and the approval of documents has also changed from stamping on paper to electronic approval on the workflow system. Such changes have made a big impact on the business strategies of MFP (Multi Functional Printer) manufacturers, and we introduces our company's case as an example of business strategies.

Image scientists and engineers are the being who're always dealing a wide range of imaging behaviors. Up to the present moment, until the 21st century, in our human history, numerous image scientists and engineers have been existed. Past painters had been such a kind of existance and had been the predecessors of us. Therefore, when we're gazing at “Paintings” at various museums, we're forced to be fasccinatd with their technical challenge and their arts, while remembering our own past experiences and current concerns. In this article, how image scienticts and engineers can enjoy “Oil painting cracks” is explained.