TOKYO (Nikkei)--Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), Panasonic Corp. (6752), NTT Data Corp. (9613) and 20 other Japanese companies have come together to commercialize advanced electronic parts that generate power by themselves.

The parts eliminate the need for external power sources for sensors and switches because they can convert small amounts of energy from vibrations, body heat and dim light into electricity. The firms are aiming for a market debut within two to three years.

When the parts are used in a television remote, for example, vibrations from a user moving it and pressing buttons would be sufficient for powering the unit, eliminating the need for batteries.

Self-powered electronic parts have already been used in some wall-mount remote control units for air conditioners in Europe. But they are rather bulky, measuring several centimeters on each side, and cost several thousand yen apiece.

The 23 Japanese firms -- which also include Honda Motor Co. (7267), Olympus Corp. (7733), Renesas Electronics Corp. (6723), Murata Mfg.

Co. (6981) and Asahi Kasei Corp. (3407) -- seek to bring together their expertise, such as minute processing and cutting-edge materials technologies, to develop more efficient and cheaper self-powered parts.

The companies have joined forces under a consortium established by an NTT Data-affiliated lab. They believe one of the most promising potential applications for self-powered electronic parts is automobile sensors.

More than 150 sensors are used in a single luxury car today. Cables for sending power to those sensors alone would stretch for more than 1km if strung together. Eliminating those cables would not only lower vehicle weight but also reduce the cost of making the car.

Self-powered electronic parts will also likely be used in pacemakers, boilers and other machines that have readily available energy sources but which rely on batteries that are difficult to change.

An estimate by a U.K. research firm puts the worldwide market for self-powered parts at 4.4 billion dollars in 2020, up more than sevenfold from its forecast for 2010.

(The Nikkei Sept. 6 morning edition)