KYOCERA "TORQUE G02" Smartphone Utilized in Test on Mt. Fuji to Enhance Safety of Climbers

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) announced that one of the company’s ultra-ruggedized smartphones, the TORQUE G02, was utilized in a test on Japan’s Mt. Fuji to establish a system for enhancing the safety of climbers. The test program was carried out from Aug. 20 to Sept. 3 in Japan’s Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures and was the second test of a joint demonstration project led by Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. and other companies. Kyocera’s TORQUE G02 was selected as the program’s receiver device due to its high durability and ability to withstand the harsh environment on Japan’s highest mountain. Results of the test were announced last week.

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TORQUE G02 utilized in the test on Mt. Fuji to enhance the safety of climbers (Photo: Business Wire)

The goal of the joint demonstration project is to establish a system for enhancing the safety of climbers by “visualizing” real-time dynamic data of climbers on Mt. Fuji, including the number of climbers, usage of cottages along the routes, climbing pace/duration and use of different climbing routes. In the planned system, this data is then shared with administrators and other climbers to enhance safety. In this second phase of testing, approximately 600 climbers participated by carrying beacons, which sent data on the climbers’ passage time and locations to the Kyocera receiver devices (TORQUE G02) installed at multiple locations such as mountain cottages. The data was transmitted through an internet server in real-time to enable access through computers or smartphones.

In the test, Nippon Koei was able to collect information such as selected routes, ratio of climbers who reached the summit, amount of time spent at the summit as well as ratio of single-day climbs. Illustrating the value of such a system, a child wearing a beacon was reported lost on the mountain during the test. While the child was able to descend to safety on his own, the system recorded the route he had taken and his locations, which police and safety administrators could have used to perform a rescue if needed. An additional test is planned next year as part of the demonstration project, which aims to implement the tested system for all climbers on Mt. Fuji by 2020, when the Olympic Games come to Tokyo.

Kyocera’s TORQUE Series of smartphones is certified to U.S. Military Standard 810G and Ingress Protection (IP) standards to protect against environmental hazards including water immersion, dust, shock, extreme temperatures, humidity and more. Ideal for use in challenging settings, the phone’s touchscreen can even be operated when wet or with non-specialized gloves. It is ideally suited to big and small companies including construction, utilities, transportation, healthcare, public safety and more. Kyocera’s global portfolio of ruggedized devices are also great options for individuals who enjoy outdoor sports, lead active lives, or are just tired of worrying about damaging a fragile smartphone in any of life’s many minor mishaps.

By providing its ultra-rugged smartphones as receiver devices for the ongoing demonstration project on Mt. Fuji, Kyocera hopes to contribute to enhancing the safety of climbers and, thus, making mountain climbing more accessible and enjoyable as an outdoor sport.

For photos of the demonstration project on Mt. Fuji, please visit:
http://global.kyocera.com/news/2016/1001_dykj.html

About KYOCERA

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of mobile phones, electronic components, printers, copiers, solar power generating systems, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2016, the company’s net sales totaled 1.48 trillion yen (approx. USD13.1 billion). Kyocera appears on the 2014 and 2015 listings of the “Top 100 Global Innovators” by Thomson Reuters, and is ranked #531 on Forbes magazine’s 2016 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.

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