Contents Menu
- Outline of Global COE
- Purpose and Needs
- Management structure
- Human Resources
Development Plan - Plans for research activities
Plans for research activities
This program has been designed to carry out research on "Secure-life Electronics" and we intend to further improve this world-class base. The results of our creative research based on the discipline of electronics have contributed to society by creating a number of technological fields, including electrical energy, communication and computers. In the 21st century, the focus of society has been shifting from "objects" created by these technologies to "conditions" such as safety, security, health and environmental conservation. In addition, the aforementioned technological fields have matured and seem to be reaching saturation, with the electronics field showing signs of stagnation. This base will give consideration to these circumstances and carry out systematic research for the enhancement of the "Quality of Life," focusing on safety and security. For the development of "Secure-life Electronics," the cooperation of all of the technical fields, including materials, devices and systems, as well as barrier-free cooperation among the aforementioned technical fields, is required. We would like to create new technical fields that can provide new value to society by suggesting and creating innovative technologies through collaborative research and the fusion of technologies from different fields.
Through the 21st Century COE Program, this base has accumulated global results in "sensing technology," "information processing and network technology," "actuation technology" and "functional devices and materials technology," which are the core technologies of "Security-life Electronics." In this program, we intend to develop useful technologies and at the same time explore non-traditional science that could form the foundation of useful technologies by developing them as warps and positioning the "nano electronics," "photonics" and "integration technology," in which this base has already achieved results on the global stage, as woofs and by strengthening collaboration with the industry. The promotion of research under this newly-devised system is consistent with an extensive and solid electronics education.
In order to realize the aforementioned purposes, we will create the research system. The following four COREs will be formed and the research results achieved through the 21st Century COE program will be further improved, led by the individuals in charge of promoting each project.
- Sensing Research CORE
- Information Processing and Network Research CORE
- Actuation and Control Research CORE
- Functional Devices and Materials Research CORE
The 21st COE Program has realized an "optical fiber nerve network technology for creating sensitive materials and structures," by wrapping optical fibers, which are used as distortion and temperature sensors, around bridges and the wings of airplanes, the "right brain computing device," which utilizes the physical phenomenon of semiconductor ICs to instantaneously associate images, the "4WD electric vehicle," in which slip-free tires are used and the nano technologies that enable "single photon generation," which is the basic technology for quantum cryptographic transmission. They were adopted by the academic construction research, the basic research S, CREST, ERATO and the Formation of Innovation Center for Fusion of Advanced Technologies, receiving a number of prizes. We have made many original achievements recognized around the world.
We classified these four COREs by functional expression. We have also achieved excellent results in base technologies, including nano electronics, photonics and integration technologies. We will form the following three RINGs and make arrangements for cooperation and collaboration among research institutions and groups, positioning the COREs and the RINGs as warps and woofs.
- Nano Science and Technology RING collaboration
- Photonics RING collaboration
- Integration Technology RING collaboration
The "Platform Lab" established by the 21st Century COE Program is a space for common use and is equipped with common facilities, devices and demonstration facilities. It is a scheme for promoting cooperation among laboratories and groups, one which we will continue to use and develop.
Secure-life Electronics is a research field intended for the enhancement of the "Quality of Life," focusing on safety and security. New values will be created in society through integration of the unique technologies developed by each research CORE. For example, the "optical fiber nerve network technology for creating sensitive materials and structures" was only realized through the integration of aircraft composite material technologies and technologies for interpreting pain information. We plan to actively promote academic-industry collaboration, as well as international collaboration, because cooperation with other fields is as important as cooperation inside the base. We will of course provide opportunities to offer information, such as at COE international symposiums, research CORE workshops and meetings for announcing the results of research by young faculty members and PhD graduate students. In addition, the "Secure-life electronics Web Mart" will be established as part of the homepage of this base and the results of the latest research carried out inside the base will be disclosed in a clear and a straightforward manner in order to induce joint research. As specified in this application, this base has already implemented academic-industrial and international collaboration, but we plan to further enhance it to create new social values through the development of secure-life electronics.
The most important point in respect to international collaboration is the enhancement of a support scheme for young researchers and educators, which will be effective for motivating young and brilliant students from overseas to join our base as graduate students or research fellows. We have already accepted many graduate students and postgraduate students from abroad. We are in close collaboration with France’s CNRS in respect to MEMS, with Harvard University in Nano electronics and with the University of Seoul in Actuation and have exchanged a number of graduate and postgraduate students. In addition to this international collaboration between institutes, we will also promote exchanges between laboratories by establishing the "Overseas Liaison Research Institutes" system based on active international exchanges between laboratories and faculties. This will be an effective foundation for developing cooperation among research COREs, as well involving the entire base. We will create a budget for promoting exchanges of graduate students and young researchers belonging to these international collaboration bases and research institutes. The 21st Century COE has achieved successful results in the "Overseas Training Program," in which graduate students visit rival overseas research institutes and hold extensive discussions. We would like to enhance this program and at the same time implement an "Overseas Intern System." The aforementioned "Web Mart" will be translated into English and the "Future Electronics Research and Education Center" established by the 21st Century COE Program will be utilized for the smooth management of this cooperation.
