Tohoku University and NTT Begin Cross-Sectoral Joint Research to Solve Social and Regional Issues
Solving diverse social issues through human and social expansion in remote worlds, robotics, and extrasensory

TOKYO - August 30, 2024 - On September 2024, NTT Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; Representative Member of the Board and President: Akira Shimada; hereinafter "NTT") and Tohoku University (President: Teiji Tominaga; hereinafter "Tohoku University") will launch a shared vision joint research project aimed at creating new value by integrating Tohoku University's strengths in NanoTerasu¹, disaster/medicine science, robotics, and NTT's human augmentation technology with IOWN² to solve social and regional issues.

1. Background

Tohoku University and NTT have conducted shared vison joint research for six years in 2 phases. In the first phase (2018-2020)³, we worked on a research theme to realize behavior change from a state lacking either safety or security to a safe and secure state by combining disaster big data from Tohoku University, which experienced the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and NTT's communication service platform technology. In the second phase (2021-2023)⁴, we created a joint research theme for realizing an "ultra-resilient society" by predicting the future and acting flexibly based on an accurate understanding of not only disasters but also the earth, society, and regions.
　The second phase produced the following results.

NTT and IRIDeS, Tohoku University have conducted joint research on disaster preparedness. In the third phase, in addition to disaster science, new initiatives such as the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility "NanoTerasu" at Tohoku University and the IOWN concept promoted by NTT will be utilized. The organizational structure will be strengthened across multiple organizations and researchers, and a new shared vision joint research will begin.

2. Significance of this joint research system

In September 2023, Tohoku University was selected as the only candidate for the World-leading Innovative Graduate Study Program (WINGS), currently in the final accreditation process. Tohoku University is recognized as a leading research university in Japan due to its high research capabilities. Major highlights of the G7 Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting in Sendai held in Sendai City in May 2023 were a visit to Tohoku University's International Research Institute of Disaster Science and the construction of the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility "NanoTerasu" on Tohoku University's new Aobayama campus. NanoTerasu is a next-generation synchrotron radiation facility (giant microscope) about the size of Tokyo Dome that has been built on the new Aobayama Campus. With light more than 1 billion times brighter than sunlight, it is possible to observe the inside and surface of various objects at the nanoscale, and to visualize the microscopic mechanism of the functions of objects by utilizing various observation methods. The system started operation in fiscal 2024 and has attracted considerable attention globally. Under the IOWN concept, NTT is researching and developing future communication platforms that utilize cutting-edge optical and information processing technologies to realize a smart world. IOWN strives to create new value and a global sustainable society through its network of extremely low power consumption, high capacity, high quality, and low latency.
　Tohoku University and NTT have conducted several joint research projects in the past, but there has been no cross-organizational structure. To solve complex social issues, we have introduced this system to share a common vision and to establish a research system that works side-by-side with multiple organizations and researchers to bring various skills and minds together and examine the ideas.
　In addition, it is important not only to create technologies through research but also to make recommendations to existing systems and build business models to deploy the technologies created in society.
　To this end, we will conduct research across multiple research institutions within the framework of shared vision joint research. Tohoku University and NTT will collaborate to create new technologies that can contribute to the future of humanity.

3. Outline of the joint research

① Joint research theme

Thematic studies began in the second half of fiscal 2023 under the vision of "Creating new value by combining the strengths of Tohoku University and IOWN to solve social and regional issues." To create a joint research theme unique to Tohoku University, Seven organizations from Tohoku University, including the International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation, Smart, Cyberscience Center, the School of Engineering, and the International Research Institute of Disaster Science, and a total of 30 people from the NTT Group, including research institutes and businesses, held a workshop to create a joint research theme (Figure 1).
　Based on IOWN, the joint research will create new value by combining the nano-level analysis platform of Tohoku University and NTT's human augmentation technology.
　We will promote the following three themes.

Figure 1 Joint Research Themes

Theme A is for realizing network services to save people from disasters. Specifically, by creating a place to provide digital healthcare services in the metaverse space, we will contribute to solving the shortage of doctors and specialists and maintaining regional medical care, and in the event of a disaster, as digital disaster evacuation support, we will contribute to the control of disaster damage, efficient evacuation support based on data, and the control of disaster-related deaths, as and contribute to disaster mitigation and preparedness education utilizing disaster archives. We will realize a society in which disaster response does not become costly by solving local problems in normal times to solve problems during disasters.
　Theme B aims to provide an environment in which anyone can challenge themselves to acquire new skills by building a system that can easily learn the skills of experts from a distance. In particular, we will develop a multimodality expression technology that converts subjective and ambiguous instruction language information and expert skill information into non-verbal information such as visual and tactile senses, and develop a next-generation skills distance learning system that combines multimodality expression with physical guidance by robots. At present, labor shortages are a serious social issue in many fields, particularly the difficulty of passing down skills due to the shortage of skilled workers. There are also situations where it is difficult to acquire skills due to their abilities or having physical or mental disabilities.
　Theme C focuses on five senses transformation, compression, and reproduction technologies that can transform one sense into another. We believe that this will enable people with visual impairments to change their senses, for example. By combining Tohoku University's technology of auditory and tactile sensation with IOWN's ultra high-speed NW and human extension technology, in addition to NanoTerasu's nano-level visualization technology and analysis platform technology, we hope to develop a new worldview of human extension through experiences and experiences that transcend human functions, including space, earth, nature and atomic level that have not been understood by humans.

② Joint research formation

Seven research organizations at Tohoku University and seven research institutes at NTT participate in this joint research (Figure 2).

■Tohoku University

■NTT

Figure 2 Joint Research Formation

4. Outlook

The joint research will be conducted for three years. For Theme A, we will carry out a Proof of Concept (PoC) in cooperation with businesses from the next fiscal year with the aim of early social implementation, and study a business model through trials in the third year. As for theme B, in the first year, we will conduct basic research on a skills distance learning platform, in the second year, we will conduct technical verification and build a trial environment, and in the third year, we will conduct a trial. For Theme C, we plan to conduct a trial of a new worldview in which the nanoworld can be experienced in the third year through basic examination from the first year, technical verification from the second year, and demonstration environment, and to summarize technical requirements. By combining human resources and technologies for each theme, we will work to make research that contributes to society and local communities.
　Tohoku University and NTT will combine Tohoku University's strengths with NTT's human augmentation technology and IOWN to create new value and contribute to solving social and regional issues.

^1.NanoTerasu is a synchrotron radiation facility located on the Aobayama Campus of Tohoku University in Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. The official name is the 3GeV High-Brilliance Synchrotron Radiation Facility, which was started as the Tohoku Synchrotron Radiation Facility Project and started operation on April 1, 2024. It is the Specific Synchrotron Radiation Facilities under the Act on Promotion of Public Utilization of Specific Advanced Large Research Facilities. https://nanoterasu.jp/top_en/

^2.The IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) concept is a network and information processing infrastructure, including devices, capable of providing high-speed, high-capacity communications and enormous computing resources utilizing innovative optical and other technologies to transcend the limitations of conventional infrastructure, optimize individuals and the whole based on all information, and create an affluent society that embraces diversity. We have begun research and development with the aim to finalize specifications in 2024 and realize them in 2030.

^3.https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2018/08/28/180828a.html

^4.https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2021/11/16/211116c.html

^5.IRIDeS (International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University)

About NTT

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