International Research Center for Fundamental Technologies of Access Spaces

Director: Kohei Ohnishi (Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology)

Main Campuses: Yagami, Shin-Kawasaki

We pursue new human-centric science and technology to provide advanced digital support tailored to individuals, and promote consistent, integrated research spanning from optical and electronic devices to networks and haptics. We also aim to produce well-rounded human resources who can play an active role in a global society by establishing an internationally outstanding hub for educational and research activities. Specifically, to provide advanced human support in access spaces, we are advancing research that enhances synergistic effects in four fields: fundamental physical engineering for innovative device creation, engineering for environmentally embedded devices, real-world real-time network communication engineering, and perceptual and expressive media engineering. In terms of human resource development, we are fostering individuals who can become leaders in a global society through advanced programs such as the double supervisor system (an educational framework with multiple supervising professors, including faculty from overseas partner institutions) and the overseas dispatch system for promoting joint research.

Fundamental physical engineering for innovative device creation, engineering for environmentally embedded devices, real-world real-time network communication engineering, and perceptual and expressive media engineering

■ Activities Continuing from the Previous Fiscal Year: Background, Rationale, and Goals

The research promoted by this center, which enhances the synergistic effects of the four research fields—fundamental physical engineering for innovative device creation, engineering for environmentally embedded devices, real-world real-time network communication engineering, and perceptual and expressive media engineering—is steadily producing results. Furthermore, the promotion of joint research and human resource development through international workshops, the overseas dispatch system for promoting joint research, and the double supervisor system is steadily leading to fruitful advanced international collaborations. Therefore, in fiscal year 2011, we will continue to steadily implement these programs to further refine our advanced international collaborations. We aim to hold more than 10 international workshops, including with the Lyon-Lyon Nanotechnology Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Harvard University; dispatch more than 10 individuals through the overseas dispatch system for promoting joint research; and have more than two individuals obtain their degrees under the double supervisor system.

■ New Activity Goals and Content for Fiscal Year 2011, and Background for Implementation

As a culmination of our activities to date, we will hold the "1st International Symposium on Access Spaces (IEEE-ISAS2011)," an open international symposium with Technical Co-sponsorship from IEEE/IES, from June 17 to 19 at Raiosha on the Hiyoshi Campus. We will also publish a book on "Access Spaces" based on the key papers from the symposium. Through these efforts, we aim to widely disseminate the center's achievements to the academic community and society.

■ Implementation Details, Research Outcomes, and Degree of Achievement Against the Business Plan for the Fiscal Year

As originally planned, we promoted research in the four fields of fundamental physical engineering for innovative device creation, engineering for environmentally embedded devices, real-world real-time network communication engineering, and perceptual and expressive media engineering. As planned, we employed 43 RAs (including paid RAs who are not members of the center) at the beginning of the fiscal year, increasing the number to 46 by the end of the year. Through the overseas dispatch system for promoting joint research (formerly the international internship program), we dispatched 16 young researchers (11 long-term, 5 short-term) to institutions such as London South Bank University (UK), Queen's University Belfast (UK), and Harvard University (USA), achieving 160% of our target. We actively held 17 international workshops (13 abroad, 4 in Japan)—approximately three times the number from the previous year—at institutions including the Lyon-Lyon Nanotechnology Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Harvard University, and Politecnico di Milano, deepening our research exchange. Additionally, two RAs obtained their degrees using the double supervisor system. Furthermore, as planned, we held a corporate visit seminar on the theme of communications at a manufacturer's research institute, where young researchers presented their research findings in a poster format and engaged in discussions with leading researchers.

The international workshops were not only quantitatively active, at about three times the number of the previous year, but also significantly improved in quality. The workshop held at Ecole Centrale de Lyon INL (France) involved the EC, including France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Spain, bringing together a total of about 70 researchers. It provided a new forum for discussion on the themes of photonics, near-field optics, and imaging, pioneering advanced international collaboration. In addition, by co-hosting workshops with major international conferences in various fields, such as ACCV2010 and ISIE2010, and making them open international conferences, we were able to widely promote the concept of "access spaces" advocated by our center to the world.

Furthermore, by utilizing the overseas dispatch system for promoting joint research, young researchers advanced joint projects with overseas research institutions. This has led to tangible results such as co-authored papers and co-authored international conference papers. Moreover, some have started their careers as international researchers by taking up positions at overseas institutions after obtaining their degrees, demonstrating that advanced international collaboration is being achieved.