Energy Print Lab 2050

At the Future Life Experience in the Osaka-Kansai Expo, we are designing an exhibition with Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) under the theme of“DNP’s Vision of a Natural Energy Society in 2050.” We are responsible for the creative direction of the concept, monument, and spatial design, creating a laboratory to enhance co-creation with future partners.

Issue

Energy Print

It is estimated that maintaining humanity’s current level of consumption would require resources equivalent to 1.7 Earths each year, highlighting the need for nations and companies to advance both technology and the power of co-creation to protect the global environment. We broadly interpret the concept of “Print” as creating new value for society starting from diverse printing technologies, and define “Energy Print” as an initiative to generate, store, and control energy from natural phenomena around us that have not traditionally been recognized as energy sources. Through future implementation, we sought to express the potential of familiar energy sources—such as microbial fuel cells and vibration power generation—for a sustainable future.

Creation

Energy Tree

Inspired by the organic structures of nature, we realized the future “*Energy Tree*” as a monument where diverse technologies interconnect and function together. It envisions a future in which technologies converge, enabling each individual to harness familiar sources of energy in daily life.

Technology

Generating energy from light

The branches and leaves at the top of the monument apply functional films that represent the evolution of solar power generation. While sunlight is a renewable, low-impact energy source, conventional solar cells achieve a conversion efficiency of only about 15–20%, leaving much of the solar energy unused. To address this, we modeled technologies for the concentration and control of light that efficiently capture solar energy and achieve higher power generation efficiency.

Transmitting, storing, and controlling generated energy

The trunk in the middle of the monument models energy control technologies that store small amounts of generated energy and enable its efficient use through wireless power transfer. While today’s common wireless charging systems are limited to a few centimeters in distance, spatial transmission methods—such as those using microwaves—make it possible to deliver power across space, supplying electricity to devices several meters away.

Generating energy from living organisms

The roots at the base of the monument model micro- and nano-scale fabrication technologies essential for improving the efficiency of microbial fuel cells. Microbial power generation harnesses the electrons released when certain microorganisms (electrogenic bacteria) break down organic matter, converting them into electricity. As a system that can simultaneously generate electricity while purifying water, it holds promise as a method that combines energy recovery with environmental remediation.

Generating energy from the surrounding environment

The ground supporting the monument applies technologies that add functionality across large surfaces, essential for vibration power generation. This method converts small vibration energies—produced by structural sway, human footsteps, or machine operation—into electricity.
We modeled this as a system that stores light energy from the ground, expressed interactively to illustrate the potential of vibration power generation.

Future

Future Energy Co-Creation Project

Building on this exhibition as a starting point, we aim to deepen collaboration with co-creation partners and pursue concrete explorations for new business development, with a view beyond the Expo itself. DNP welcomes collaborators who share our vision as a platform provider—creating new value in the fields of environment and energy, while striving for both sustainable corporate growth and the realization of a sustainable society.