Look Who it Was Random video

Oral History of Shigeyuki Ochi

396 views · Published 21 August 2018 · 1:11:42 · Indexed 12 November 2026

Channel: Computer History Museum · 2018 · Science & Technology

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Interviewed by Doug Fairbairn on 2016-06-23 in Tokyo, Japan X7652.2016
© Computer History Museum

Ochi-san was born in Manchuria in 1938, but moved back to Japan before he was one year old. He had an early interest in mathematics, especially as applied to communication.  He attended Tokyo Institute of Technology because of their strength in communications.  He graduated in 1962 with a BS in electrical engineering. 

Upon graduation, he joined Sony. At the time, Sony was focused on using bipolar transistors, but he read an RCA paper on MOS transistors and felt that was the technology of the future. He worked on MOS technology until 1970, at which time he switched his focus to CCD. 

It was a difficult technology, so many other companies stopped their development efforts in this area. Ochi-san believed it was important and so continued to pursue his goal of making a CCD-based camera. He succeeded in making a prototype version of such a camera in 1980, and a commercial version in 1985. That was the first camcorder.

* Note:  Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information - http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102738181

Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories/ for more information about the Computer History Museum's Oral History Collection.

Lot number: X7652.2016
Catalog number: 102738180

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