| Casio has become a household name for pioneering | | | | make his own calculator. |
| some of the most useful products such as the | | | | Whilst working at Kashio Seisakujo on the sub |
| all-electronic calculator and the digital watch. Both of | | | | contract work, Tadoa and Toshio heavily invested |
| which we take for granted in the 21st century. | | | | there evening time developing the calculator. Basic |
| A young and talented lathe operator apprentice by | | | | prototypes were shown to people and the feedback |
| name of Kashio Tadao began his studies at Waseda | | | | received helped resolve many problems. This was |
| Koshu Gakka (now Waseda University) in Tokyo, | | | | then iterated back into the prototypes. After a number |
| Japan. Gaining experience working in a factory (whilst | | | | of refined prototypes, Tadoa and Toshio finally |
| studying) making general everyday items such as pots, | | | | developed Japans first electric calculator in 1954. |
| pans and bicycle generator lamps, Tadao made the | | | | However, there were complications when the brothers |
| decision to establish his own business (Kashio | | | | approached the Bunshodo Corporation, a company |
| Seisakujo) subcontracting making microscope parts | | | | specializing in office supplies. The Bunshodo |
| and gears in 1946. | | | | Corporation criticized the invention, outlining the lack of |
| Tadoa had a younger brother Toshio, who was | | | | multiplication functionality. The current calculator could |
| creatively gifted with extensive electrical knowledge. | | | | not do continuos multiplication where the result of an |
| Tadoa from an early age admired the pioneering | | | | initial multiplication can be multiplied by another value. |
| efforts of Edison, who invented the light bulb, and | | | | The brothers went back to design, bringing there two |
| always told his family that he wanted to become an | | | | other brothers Kazuo and Yukio to the development |
| inventor. | | | | team. Yukio who was a mechanical engineering |
| At this time, Tadio was a naturally gifted technician at | | | | student aided the team by designing the plans and |
| the Ministry of Communications. He decided to leave | | | | Tadoa and Kazuo did the production. |
| his job at the Ministry of Communications to pursue his | | | | In 1956, six years of design, development and ironing |
| dream, the more ability testing and challenging job of | | | | out problems and bugs, the team were close to adding |
| an inventor. Toshio joined Tadoa at Kashio Seisakujo | | | | continuos multiplication to their innovation. However, |
| and began utilizing his natural inventiveness, trying | | | | Toshio decided to make a big design change that |
| several innovative ideas. One of which was the ring | | | | would make the calculator completely electronic. The |
| mounted cigarette holder (Yubiwa Pipe), which | | | | current solenoid solution they had based their original |
| provided a means of smoking a cigarette down to the | | | | idea on was to be swapped out with electronic relays. |
| nub whilst doing work. | | | | This had a number of benefits, one of which made |
| We must remember that commodities in postwar | | | | mass production of the product more feasible. Indeed, |
| Japan where in short supply. This meant that Toshio | | | | the disadvantage of relays was that they were easily |
| had a potential market for his new innovation. Tadoa | | | | susceptible to fine particles and dust. Computer |
| manufactured the holder on a lathe and the father of | | | | systems which use relays, at that time usually took up |
| the two brothers marketed the product. Orders began | | | | an entire room and had their own air filtering system of |
| coming in for the pipe and the product was a success. | | | | some sort. This presented a whole new problem |
| The capital created by the Yubiwa Pipe was to be | | | | domain to the project. |
| invested in a new innovation. Whilst at a business | | | | To overcome this, the team dramatically reduced the |
| show held in Ginza, Tokyo, following the success of | | | | number of relays required and developed a new type |
| the Yubiwa Pipe, the brothers spotted a potential gap | | | | of relay which was less susceptible to fine particles |
| in the market for an all-electronic calculator. At that | | | | and dust. A unique interface was also developed |
| time, most calculators were mechanically employed by | | | | which had 10 number keys, similar to modern |
| gears and required manual operation with the use of a | | | | calculators we have today. Typical calculators of that |
| hand crank. | | | | time had three screens, two for the input arguments |
| Moreover, some advanced electronic calculators | | | | and the final one for the result of the calculation. This |
| overseas still functioned with the use of an electric | | | | was a revolution in itself. Furthermore, as the user |
| motor which made noise as the gears rotated at | | | | entered the inputs, the screen removed the previous |
| speed. Toshio's idea was to engineer an all-electronic | | | | input numbers and replaced them with the new inputs |
| circuit based calculator using a solenoid which would | | | | entered by the user. The all-electronic calculator was |
| resolve a lot of the problems that came with the | | | | born. |
| current mechanically based inventions. He wanted to | | | | |