2025 TRON Symposium-TRONSHOW- "TRON X AI 2" has begun accepting pre-registrations for attendees.
https://www.tronshow.org/index-e.html

TRON Forum has published to its members the "FY 2024 Survey Report on Embedded Real-time OS Usage Trends."

TRON Forum (Location: Shinagawa, Tokyo, Chair: Ken Sakamura, Professor Emeritus, the University of Tokyo), which is a proponent of TRON Project, and aims to establish the Open IoT environment that is free of restrictions imposed by organizations or applications by using open source, open data and Open API, has compiled “FY 2024 Survey Report on Embedded Real-time OS Usage Trends.” The report shows that approximately 60 percents of the share of "the API of embedded OS in use" is held by API of the T-Kernel specification API including μT-Kernel specification API, etc. and ITRON specification API. This means that the TRON RTOS family has occupied the topmost share for 26 consecutive years since the start of the survey.

 As a result of this survey, the following points can be noted.

• The TRON Real-Time OS (RTOS) family has been recognized as an IEEE Milestone, and the awareness overseas may have increased accordingly.
• TRON RTOSs are gaining wider recognition in Japan as well.

This survey has been held as annual measurements for 26 times so far at the venue of EdgeTech+ 2024 (Organizer: Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association: JASA, Venue: PACIFICO YOKOHAMA) and its predecessors. The latest FY 2024 Survey Report summarizes the result of the questionnaire answered by the respondents through the special website for this survey and the visitors to EdgeTech+ 2024 which was held from November 20 to 22, 2024.

 TRON Forum publishes the whole content of the survey result on the members-only web pages for Executive Committee/A-/i-/B-/O-/Academic members. If corporations and the members other than the above need the survey result, “Limited to a division only readership version (100,000 yen excluding tax)” and “Company-wide readership version (200,000 yen excluding tax)” will be on sale through the web shop (https://www.personal-media.co.jp/webshop/) operated by Personal Media Corporation, one of the Executive Committee members of TRON Forum.

Press contact

TRON Forum Secretariat Office (contact: Mr. Kashiwa)
Phone: +81-3-5437-0572 Fax: +81-3-5437-2399
Email: press@tron.org
URL: http://www.tron.org/

• Press release

The TRON Forum has redesigned its "IEEE Milestone" page to commemorate the awarding of two IEEE Milestones: "TRON Real-time Operating System Family, 1984" in October 2023 and "The Pioneering TRON Intelligent House, 1989" in November 2024. Please take a look.
https://www.tron.org/ieee-milestones/

TRON Programming Contest 2025

Win your share of five million yen in our AI and RTOS innovation contest, featuring an IEEE Milestone RTOS with a 60% global market share

TRON Forum (Chair: Ken Sakamura, Professor Emeritus, the University of Tokyo) will hold “TRON Programming Contest 2025” (hereafter, “this Contest”) from Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Total amount of prizes is five million Japanese YEN. There are multiple submission categories, and a Grand Prize, Excellence Awards, and Special Awards will be awarded for each submission category.

This Contest is for engineers and students from Japan and overseas to compete in the fields of microprocessor applications, middleware, development environment, and tools using "µT-Kernel 3.0"(※), the world standard TRON RTOS.

The theme of this Contest is “TRON × AI — Utilizing AI.” We look forward to receiving your innovative submissions that incorporate AI technology. This Contest will be held in special collaboration with STMicroelectronics K.K. and Renesas Electronics, and in cooperation with Infineon Technologies K.K. and Personal Media Corporation, etc. This Contest also receives technical co-sponsorship from the IEEE Consumer Technology Society West Japan Joint Chapter. For the details on this Contest, please visit the following website.

TRON Programming Contest 2025
https://www.tron.org/programming_contest-2025/

(※) μT-Kernel 3.0 is an RTOS that is fully compatible with the "IEEE 2050-2018" standard for RTOSs adopted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and it runs on microprocessors from various manufacturers. It is a member of TRON Real-time OS family which was recognized as an IEEE Milestone in 2023.

Comment of Ken Sakamura, Chair of TRON Forum

On the occasion of the “TRON Programming Contest 2025,” we have set a new theme of “TRON × AI — Utilizing AI.”
Embedded systems are currently at a major turning point. In the past, embedded systems have been only required to execute their predetermined functions accurately. However, the advancement of AI is changing this situation. We are entering an age when embedded systems are also required to adapt to the environment, learn, and make smarter decisions.

μT-Kernel 3.0 has been used worldwide as a real-time OS for embedded systems that is fully compliant with IEEE international standard. How can we use AI on this OS to create new value? This is not just a technical challenge, but also a challenge to figure out how the new embedded systems should be in the age of the IoT and edge computing.

In this contest, contestants can use the latest microprocessor boards from the special cooperating companies and cooperating companies. By combining the hardware with μT-Kernel 3.0, various possibilities can be expanded, such as AI processing on the edge side and collaboration between cloud AI and edge nodes. We are looking forward to innovative ideas from contestants that go beyond conventional embedded systems.

The advancement of technology is accelerated by the creativity of the people who use it. We hope that this contest will be a place where excellent ideas are born that will show the shape of the next generation of embedded systems.

Contact

Nobuyuki Kashiwa and Hiroyuki Yamada, TRON Forum
+81-3-5437-0572 / press@tron.org

Overview of the "TRON Programming Contest 2025" (Tentative)

Schedule

Registration entry period: from Tuesday, January 21, 2025 to Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Program submission period: from Friday, May 30, 2025 to Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Awards ceremony: December 2025 (TBD)

What are called for

Programs in the fields of applications, middleware, development environment, and tools using "µT-Kernel 3.0," the world standard TRON real-time OS (RTOS) and the latest microprocessor boards provided by four major microprocessor manufacturers. Contestants will compete in technologies that bring out the characteristics of RTOSs, such as real-time performance, power saving, and small memory footprint, as well as development environments, tools, etc. that take advantage of new technologies.
The theme of the Contest in 2025 is “TRON × AI — Utilizing AI.” We look forward to receiving your innovative submissions that incorporate AI technology.

Selection

Judging meeting will be held by the following judges.

Chief Judge
Ken Sakamura (Chair of TRON Forum, IEEE Life Fellow / Golden Core Member, IEEE Computer Society, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo)

Judges
Takashi Goto (Infineon Technologies Japan K.K.)
Paolo Oteri (STMicroelectronics K.K)
Akihiro Kuroda (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
Akira Matsui (Personal Media Corporation)

Prizes

Total amount of prizes is five million Japanese YEN.

• There will be a Grand Prize, Excellence Awards, and Special Awards for each submission category.

Eligibility

• Those who agree to the Application Rules.
• Any party including individuals, groups and corporations.
• There is no restriction on nationality, age, resident area, etc. Minor applicants shall obtain the permission of the guardian.

Application Procedures

Details on entry requirements and application procedures will be announced on the contest website.

Contest website URL

https://www.tron.org/programming_contest-2025/

Details

Organizer
TRON Forum

Special Cooperation
STMicroelectronics K.K.
Renesas Electronics Corporation

Technology Co-sponsorship
IEEE Consumer Technology Society West Japan Joint Chapter

Cooperation
INIAD collaboration Hub for University and Business (cHUB), Toyo University / Infineon Technologies Japan / Personal Media Corporation / Ubiquitous Computing Technology Corporation / Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association

The year 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of TRON Project since its inception in 1984. In that memorable year, we had the honor of “The Pioneering TRON Intelligent House, 1989” being recognized as an IEEE Milestone. This achievement of TRON Project has been recognized as an IEEE Milestone, which TRON Project received for two consecutive years following the year 2023's "TRON Real-time Operating System Family, 1984." The project's approaches, both from the bottom-up infrastructure technology and top-down application requirements have been highly evaluated. The TRON Intelligent House, built in 1989, was an experimental house that pursued energy saving and comfort by implementing a comprehensive home equipment control system using computers, which was a groundbreaking development 35 years ago. I am very proud that its historical value has been recognized internationally. Last fall, I was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in recognition of my many years of research contributions to computer science in Japan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your warm support over the years.

Last December, we moved the venue of the annual TRON Symposium to Shibuya PARCO DG Building in Shibuya City, Tokyo, and renewed the exhibition format, focusing on presentations in seminar style, using the hybrid symposium as baseline. In addition, TRON Forum held the "TRON Programming Contest" in collaboration with four major microcomputer manufacturers in 2024. The 2nd TRON Programming Contest will be held this year. In the past, many embedded systems were developed as products that operated independently, but now that we have entered the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), where all kinds of devices are connected to networks, embedded system engineers are required to have new skills. Through this contest, we would like to support embedded system engineers to update their skills and hope to expand the new possibilities of the IoT.

Thus, the approaches of TRON Project have the potential to address today's social issues. Due to last year's “hottest summer in recorded history,” even in Japan, where there has been less concern about climate change than in Europe and the United States, people are becoming more aware of the threat of climate change. The 2023 TRON Symposium looked at the deployment from digital transformation (DX) to green transformation (GX), and was held under the theme of “DX2GX." And the theme for last year's TRON Symposium was "AI X TRON." Due to the rapid advances of AI, there are concerns about an increase in energy consumption in data centers. However, if an ideal combination of the popularization of the IoT technology and the progress of AI can be achieved, it could be the key to maintaining a comfortable lifestyle while also making the global environment sustainable.

In order to meet the demands of the current era, we will continue to work on further technological innovation, making use of our 40 years of experience and achievements. TRON Project will continue to strive to contribute to society in terms of both infrastructure and applied technologies. Thank you all for your continuing support.

Ken Sakamura

This is January 2025 issue of monthly e-mail magazine of TRON Forum.

Happy New Year. Thank you for your continuing support for TRON Project and best wishes to all of you for the new year.

The year 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of TRON Project since its inception in 1984. In that memorable year, we had the honor of “The Pioneering TRON Intelligent House, 1989” being recognized as an IEEE Milestone. This achievement of TRON Project has been recognized as an IEEE Milestone, which TRON Project received for two consecutive years following the year 2023's "TRON Real-time Operating System Family, 1984." The project's approaches, both from the bottom-up infrastructure technology and top-down application requirements have been highly evaluated. The TRON Intelligent House, built in 1989, was an experimental house that pursued energy saving and comfort by implementing a comprehensive home equipment control system using computers, which was a groundbreaking development 35 years ago. I am very proud that its historical value has been recognized internationally. Last fall, I was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in recognition of my many years of research contributions to computer science in Japan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your warm support over the years.

Last December, we moved the venue of the annual TRON Symposium to Shibuya PARCO DG Building in Shibuya City, Tokyo, and renewed the exhibition format, focusing on presentations in seminar style, using the hybrid symposium as baseline. In addition, TRON Forum held the "TRON Programming Contest" in collaboration with four major microcomputer manufacturers in 2024. The 2nd TRON Programming Contest will be held this year. In the past, many embedded systems were developed as products that operated independently, but now that we have entered the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), where all kinds of devices are connected to networks, embedded system engineers are required to have new skills. Through this contest, we would like to support embedded system engineers to update their skills and hope to expand the new possibilities of the IoT.

Thus, the approaches of TRON Project have the potential to address today's social issues. Due to last year's “hottest summer in recorded history,” even in Japan, where there has been less concern about climate change than in Europe and the United States, people are becoming more aware of the threat of climate change. The 2023 TRON Symposium looked at the deployment from digital transformation (DX) to green transformation (GX), and was held under the theme of “DX2GX." And the theme for last year's TRON Symposium was "AI X TRON." Due to the rapid advances of AI, there are concerns about an increase in energy consumption in data centers. However, if an ideal combination of the popularization of the IoT technology and the progress of AI can be achieved, it could be the key to maintaining a comfortable lifestyle while also making the global environment sustainable.

In order to meet the demands of the current era, we will continue to work on further technological innovation, making use of our 40 years of experience and achievements. TRON Project will continue to strive to contribute to society in terms of both infrastructure and applied technologies. Thank you all for your continuing support.

Ken Sakamura

Thank you to those who came to the 2024 TRON Symposium  ̶ TRONSHOW "AI X TRON."

2024 TRON Symposium -TRONSHOW-
https://www.tronshow.org/index-e.html

"TRON Programming Contest Awards Ceremony" was held during the TRON Symposium (TRONSHOW).

The entry deadline for the “Open Data Challenge for Public Transportation 2024  ̶ powered by Project LINKS” is Friday, January 17.

T-Kernel seminar

Share Your T-Kernel and ITRON Specification OS Stories

https://www.tron.org/ja/tron-project/provide-the-use-case/

Thank you very much for attending the 2024 TRON Symposium-TRONSHOW-'AI X TRON'.

This year's TRON Symposium will review the achievements of the past 40 years, and discuss the new possibilities that TRON Project will open up through its fusion with AI. The symposium is an opportunity to share the past, present, and future prospects of TRON Project through the keynote speech and each session.

https://www.tronshow.org/index-e.html

TRON Forum has published to its members the "FY 2023 Survey Report on Embedded Real-time OS Usage Trends" for the first time in four years.

TRON Forum (Location: Shinagawa, Tokyo, Chair: Ken Sakamura, Professor Emeritus, the University of Tokyo), which is a proponent of TRON Project, and aims to establish the Open IoT environment that is free of restrictions imposed by organizations or applications by using open source, open data and Open API, has compiled “FY 2023 Survey Report on Embedded Real-time OS Usage Trends.” The report shows that approximately 60 percents of the share of "the API of embedded OS in use" is held by API of the T-Kernel specification API including μT-Kernel specification API, etc. and ITRON specification API. This means that the TRON RTOS family has occupied the topmost share for the 25 consecutive times since the start of the survey.

As a result of this survey, the following points can be noted.

• The TRON Real-Time OS (RTOS) family has been recognized as an IEEE Milestone, and the awareness overseas may have increased accordingly.
• TRON RTOSs are gaining wider recognition in Japan as well.

This survey has been held as annual measurements for 25 times so far at the venue of EdgeTech+ 2023 (Organizer: Japan Embedded Systems Technology Association: JASA, Venue: PACIFICO YOKOHAMA) and its predecessors. The latest FY 2023 Survey Report summarizes the result of the questionnaire answered by the respondents through the special website for this survey and the visitors to EdgeTech+ 2023 which was held from November 15 to 17, 2023.

TRON Forum publishes the whole content of the survey result on the members-only web pages for Executive Committee/A-/i-/B-/O-/Academic members. If corporations and the members other than the above need the survey result, “Limited to a division only readership version (100,000 yen excluding tax)” and “Company-wide readership version (200,000 yen excluding tax)” will be on sale through the web shop (http://www.personal-media.co.jp/webshop/) operated by Personal Media Corporation, one of the Executive Committee members of TRON Forum from the middle of April.

Press contact

TRON Forum Secretariat Office (Contact: Mr. Kashiwa)
Phone: +81-3-5437-0572 Fax: +81-3-5437-2399
Email: press@tron.org
URL: https://www.tron.org/

• Document
• API of embedded OS
• API of embedded OS in different application fields