September 12, 2022
Tokyo– The National Museum of Natural Science has announced that 18 newly registered items, including an electric-assist bicycle and a 3.5-inch floppy disk, are part of Future Tech Legacy, a list of life-affecting technological objects and cultures that should be passed on to future generations.
The Future Science and Technology Heritage Registry started in 2008 and the latest additions to the registry bring the total to 343 items.
The electric bicycle was commercialized for the first time in the world by Yamaha Motor Corporation. And is regarded as a breakthrough in the bicycle market. Equipped with a motor to assist pedaling, the bike is legally classified as a vehicle that does not require a driver’s license. After developing a prototype and other models in 1994, it began to be sold nationwide.
Other selected projects include the world’s first 3.5-inch floppy disk, developed by Sony around 1980, as a recording medium for word processors, and the NE20, the first domestic jet engine developed by IHI Corporation. Around 1945.
A museum in Tokyo’s Ueno Park will display panels newly registered as a future tech heritage between Tuesday and September. 25.