It seems you faced a number of difficulties due to the emphasis placed on patients and the doctors using the equipment. I am sure you have many stories to tell about such difficulties faced during development.
- Tamura
- The first story that comes to mind would have to be the integration test we did in Europe, wouldn't it, Takekoshi-san?
- Takekoshi
- Yeah, that's right (laughs). In order to make the X-ray system into a product, Canon needed to conduct integration tests with a system integrator (chassis manufacturer) and an X-ray emitter manufacturer. The first such test was in Europe. Tamura-san and I both attended.
We had continuously encountered problems throughout development and we had only just been able to produce dynamic images the week before we departed. We were very nervous when we arrived, but the two teams from the overseas manufacturers ended up being just as late as us (laughs). An integration test under such circumstances is bound to go wrong. The room was filled with chatter in French, Spanish, Dutch, English and Japanese, and it sounded like being in the middle of a beehive.
- Tamura
- We thought we would be stuck there for a month (laughs).
- Takekoshi
- Tamura-san was [so worried that he] was as white as a sheet until we managed to synchronize the entire device to produce dynamic images (laughs).
Did you end up spending a whole month over there?
- Tamura
- No. We succeeded after about a week. We were lucky that all of the members participating worked diligently and were on the same page. We were very excited when we produced dynamic images for the first time.
I am sure it is hard to forget such an experience, almost like the feeling you get when the sun comes out after it rains. How about you, Watanabe-san?
- Watanabe
- I have one. It was when we were stuck on sensor prototypes.
In order to make prototypes, we borrow manufacturing equipment from plants used for existing products, but prototype developers are an unwelcome presence for people working in manufacturing (laughs). This affects production plans and there is a danger that we may damage the equipment if we try using complex manufacturing methods. We continued to work quietly on prototypes under these conditions, but nothing went right and we were stuck. I wanted to use more precise equipment but it was hard to ask for it.
Then, one of the managers at the plant came to us and said, "You want to use this machine, don't you? Feel free to use it. Let's help each other out!" I was very surprised. Thanks to that, we were able to conduct concentrated development for around three months, which led to the development of a new sensor.
If you hadn't been able to use that new equipment, would you have been able to create the sensor capable of supporting dynamic imaging?
- Watanabe
- I don't think so. The manager that reached out to help that day is now a friend with whom I enjoy having an occasional drink (laughs).
Your comments really convey the focus on image quality that is part of Canon's corporate culture. Is this always in your mind throughout the development process?
- Watanabe
- I am. Digital radiography systems incorporate a variety of image processing, so it is possible to make corrections later even if there are slight image quality problems at the sensor level. I am confident of that. However, I worked to develop a sensor that would ensure high image quality before the correction stage.
- Tamura
- I definitely set a high standard for image quality. A mindset of thoroughly seeking out the cause if a problem arises is expected in our approach to development.
- Takekoshi
- I believe that a product should not be made if it doesn't aim for the leading share in the market. One requirement to achieve this is high image quality. High image quality is also necessary in order to fully utilize the characteristics of highly sensitive sensors. Because of this, no compromises can be made on image quality or performance when processing images or displaying images with system software.
Thank you. Today, we were able to learn about dynamic X-ray imaging, a technology that seems familiar yet is relatively unknown.
