Chapter 4 　Birth of Setsuden-mushi (a profitmaking device) 4.1.1.3 Development policy and origin of the device name

As I have described previously, the handmade prototype of the small power saving device, which was the first developed device or the developed device No. 1, was completed in my office in about two hours in the early morning of June 29, 1994.

The characteristics of this development work can be expressed by the following three "none".

1.  There was no special research / experimental equipment.

2.  There was no large amount of research expenses / fund.

3.  There were not many development researchers, but only one.

Under this state of "none", “Setsuden-mushi” (a profit-making device) was born in a short time in a corner of the small company office.

Coincidentally, June 29th is also my wife's birthday.

Regarding the name of “Setsuden-mushi”, it used to be Switch on Demand (SOD) for about 1 year and 8 months from its birth to February 1996. The name means to switch it on only when needed.

This name of Switch on Demand (SOD) in English was changed to Setsuden-mushi in Japanese in March 1996 so that the function of the device can be understood immediately and easily in Japanese. The name of Setsuden-mushi literally means “electricity saving insect” in English. The reason I used the Japanese word "insect" is because this power saving device was small and I imagined as if it would diligently work 24 hours a day with no rest.

In addition, Setsuden-mushi starts power saving mediately after it is connected to a device such as a fax machine and continues to work with no electricity consumption when the fax machines are idle. In Japanese, "Setsuden-mushi" can also be pronounced "Setsuden-chuu". The word pronounced "chuu" means doing something. In other words, the pronunciation of the name of Setsuden-mushi in Japanese has two meanings, one is "a small device for saving electricity" and the other "continuing to save electricity".

Serially posted in English every Friday.

Please refer to the following site for the pictures and/or references.

https://www.facebook.com/ElectricitySavingNo.1