To cope with the accelerated aging of the nation’s population, Nagoya University is working to develop futuristic vehicles.
At the Institute of Innovation for Future Society, which was
established last year at the university in Chikusa Ward, the school’s
researchers are collaborating with engineers from private companies to
create new products.
Based in Aichi Prefecture, which has long been a driving
force of Japan’s manufacturing industry, they hope to once again take on
the challenge of creating new products.
A prototype Smartchair, a computer-controlled chair jointly
developed by the university and Panasonic Corp., was unveiled in August
at a trade show hosted by the government-funded Japan Science and
Technology Agency (JST).
“You seem to be slightly lacking concentration today. Please be careful when you walk.”
As an electronic voice comes from a machine attached to the
chair, itslowly tilts forward to make it easier for the user to stand
up.
The developers say the concept of the Smartchair is to
support users inconspicuously while constantly monitoring them.
Ultra-sensitive sensors are embedded in the back and armrest that
measure the user’s brain waves, pulse and breathing. It can also detect
changes in blood flow from the user’s fingertips and determine the level
of tiredness by calculating the concentration of oxygen in the blood.
Nagoya University researchers developed the sensor and Panasonic
engineers are working to apply the technology into a viable product. “We
believe that 10 years from now, people will be living in smart houses
that make residents healthier,” said Eiji Ohno, a Panasonic official who
is working at Nagoya University as a specially appointed professor.
The university’s National Innovation Complex, where the institute is
based, also houses research labs of other manufacturers, including
Toyota Motor Corp. and Toshiba Corp.
Supported by the central government and JST, projects pursued at the
complex are aimed at developing new necessary future technology, as well
as linking the university’s technologies and skills with private
companies to create new products.
The projects include improved automated driving technology, which is
already partially capable of highway driving, so cars can detect dangers
and intervene in driving on regular roads.
The project’s goal is to maintain, or even increase, the chances for elderly people to drive, researchers say.
While it is technologically possible to predict dangers based on the
position of pedestrians, for example, researchers are afraid that any
sudden braking or swerving via automatic driving might confuse drivers.
To determine the best way for robots to provide support, the
institute is creating a database of the behavioral characteristics of
elderly drivers.
“This kind of research is hard for one company to conduct only by
itself, because unlike projects such as improving engine specs, we need
to take the social system into consideration as well,” said visiting
professor and project leader from Toyota Kenji Esaki.
“Until now, (the) business-academia partnership has typically been
conducted between one academic researcher and a company, but what we
have realized here is organizational collaboration,” said professor
Shigeaki Zaima, director of the institute.
The university has sent some 100 staffers to the institute to deal
with intellectual property issues and other tasks, with the intention of
turning their research into marketable products.
The university hopes to benefit from the partnerships also by
strengthening its position as the center of research in
automobile-related technology.
“I hope our university becomes the leading research center in the
world (in this field),” said university President Seiichi Matsuo.
Chunichi
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