An array of cutting edge technologies and innovative products have impressed visitors to the IFA Berlin 2024 opened Friday in Berlin, including a flying car and smart household robots.
The electric flying car, presented by Alef Aeronautics, a U.S.-based flying car maker, garnered much attentions at the event. The design of the car aims to enhance travel efficiency while prioritizing energy conservation and environmental protection.
"Our goal is to make world more efficient and to move the world faster and also greener because it's 100-percent electric. So, the goal is to make sure the whole world moves much faster because flying car gets you to the destination in almost all the cases much faster than any other mode of transportation," said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.
According to Dukhovny, the company has received over 3,000 pre-orders for this car, with production scheduled to begin in 2025 at an initial price of around 300,000 U.S. dollars. During the early stages of production, consumers will have the opportunity to experience this flying car through shared mobility. As production scales up, the price of this car is expected to decrease by around 35,000 U.S. dollars.
Furthermore, Alef has forged a partnership with a company in Hong Kong to make inroads in the Chinese market.
A floor-cleaning robot has also attracted a lot of attention at the event due to its cutting-edge technologies. Unlike traditional floor-cleaning robots that could stuck in obstacles during work, this robot has effectively addressed this issue by incorporating mechanical legs that enable it to stand up and navigate obstacles. This feature allows it to efficiently clean various areas within a household.
"At this IFA, we unveiled several industry-first technologies, such as dual mechanical leg obstacle crossing, dual brush rolls, and anti-tangle for hair. With these cutting-edge technologies, the floor-cleaning robot can truly help people by freeing up their hands," said Chen Yanshou, sales director for Southwest Europe at Dreame, a Chinese consumer product company specializing in smart home cleaning appliances.
Moreover, another robot showcased at the event stands out from most robots on the market. It is a cognitive robot equipped with the ability to hear, see, and perceive, enabled by intelligent data processing systems. This robot can not only handle household tasks but also provide care and attention to individuals at home.
"So, it means that it can stay longer at home that they are feeling safe because the robot is actually able to see your pulse or seeing like if you're falling or whatever. Also, you can have a connection with your relatives through this platform and that's I think the big advantage you have. You feel more safe, you feel also somebody is actually there to care for you," said David Reger, CEO of NEURA Robotics, a German robotic startup.
This year's IFA has brought together over 1,800 global exhibitors, 125 keynote speakers, and more than 182,000 visitors from 139 countries.
Marking the 100th anniversary of IFA, this year's event features global tech giants showcasing their cutting-edge innovations.
Electric flying car, innovative household robots impress visitors at IFA Berlin 2024
British international relations analyst Keith Bennett said the Tokyo Trial was a just reckoning for the war crimes of Japanese militarism, calling for a correct understanding of history and safeguarding the gains of the World Anti-Fascist War to prevent the repetition of such tragedies.
From May 3, 1946 to Nov. 12, 1948, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East was held in Tokyo by 11 countries, including the United States, China, the UK and the Soviet Union, to try Japan's Class-A war criminals after World War II. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Tokyo Trial.
Bennett believes the Tokyo Trial played a pivotal role in punishing Japan, the main Asian ally of Nazi Germany, for its aggression and atrocities committed during the World War II.
"I think it's entirely reasonable that the victors of the Anti-Fascist War, whether in Europe or in Asia, should bring the perpetrators of the dreadful crimes that were committed to justice," Bennett said.
Bennett said that the multinational participation in the Tokyo Trial made it an important manifestation of the international community's shared commitment to justice.
"The involvement of different powers in the Tokyo trials [mean] lifted it above a bilateral issue between this or that country and Japan, but about international society and humanity as a whole. The crimes that Japan committed, they may have been committed in China or in Korea or in the Philippines and so on, but they were crimes against humanity," he said.
Bennett said it is of great significance to have a proper understanding of the history of the World War II and prevent this tragedy from repeating itself. "Whether we're talking about the Tokyo trials in Asia or the Nuremberg trials in Europe, the point was to draw a line under some of the most brutal aggression and crimes against humanity that we've seen in all of history, really, and to ensure that these things should never happen again," he said.
Yet, due to the leniency and protection of the U.S. occupation authorities, accountability for Japan's war crimes was never as thorough as the Nuremberg Trials of the Nazi leaders. Fourteen Class-A war criminals were even enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine, their ghosts lingering to this day.
Until this day, some right-wing Japanese politicians still refuse to renounce Japan's militaristic past, and even question or deny the outcomes of the war.
They continue to pay tribute to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, revise high school history textbooks to downplay Japan's wartime atrocities, and deny the forced recruitment of "comfort women" by the Japanese military during WWII.
During the deadliest military conflict in human history 80 years ago, more than 80 countries and regions, involving roughly 2 billion people, were drawn into the war. More than 100 million worldwide were killed or wounded, and global economic losses exceeded 4 trillion U.S. dollars.
To resist fascist aggression, more than 50 countries, including China and the Soviet Union, formed a united front. As the main theater in the East during the World Anti-Fascist War, China paid a heavy price -- over 35 million casualties in its fight against the majority of Japanese militarist troops.
Preserving the truth of history is the most meaningful tribute to the soldiers and civilians who perished during WWII. It is also a foundation for reconciliation between former belligerent nations.
Tokyo Trial represents just reckoning for Japanese aggression crimes: British expert
