First karaoke machine recognized as entertainment tech 'milestone'
The world's first karaoke machine was honored Thursday as a "milestone" that created a new brand of entertainment by a U.S. organization dedicated to promoting technological advancement.
At a ceremony in Tokyo, a plaque was handed to the family of Shigeichi Negishi, who invented the machine that was manufactured and sold as the "Music Box" in 1967. Negishi died last year at age 100.
"He was very grateful for people enjoying karaoke around the world, although he didn't imagine it to spread globally when he created it," said Akihiro Negishi, the inventor's son, at the ceremony.
The original karaoke machine was a cube measuring 30 centimeters on each side. It had a microphone, tape player, and coin box for payment.
The honor, named the IEEE Milestone, is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to advance society and industry. Items become eligible to receive the award 25 years or more after they were developed.
© KYODO
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