R&D Project

KANAI Ryota PM Photo

Goal 1 R&D Projects (Selected in 2020)Liberation from Biological Limitations via Physical, Cognitive and Perceptual Augmentation

Project manager (PM)KANAI RyotaDirector, Corporate Planning & Innovation Co-Creation Unit, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)

Summary of the project

If a person's intentions can be estimated, the ultimate CA (cybernetic avatar)*1, which can be operated as desired, becomes possible. For estimation, not only internal brain activity but also brain surface information and interaction information with others are important clues. By 2050, we will realize the ultimate BMI-CA that can be operated as a person wishes.

Milestone by year 2030

[Realization of a remote mutual assistance society where people can overcome their disabilities and participate in social activities]

People with physical and brain limitations can independently expand their own physical, cognitive, and perceptual abilities using AI-assisted BMI-CA*2 that can decode words and actions in their minds with high accuracy, and can further expand these abilities by collaborating and cooperating with experience-sharing CAs of others with whom they agree. and participate in new cultural, artistic, sporting, and educational activities.

Milestone by year 2025

[Technological Transformation of Communicating Words and Actions Conceived in the Mind to Others]

The expansion of physical, cognitive, and perceptual abilities beyond one person's work capacity and the speed of voice communication can be realized by coordinating and collaborating AI-assisted BMI-CAs that decipher with high precision the words and actions that anyone can conceive in his or her head. In particular, if a person with a disability wishes to have a surgical operation, some functions of the AI-assisted BMI-CA can be extended beyond those of a single person, enabling a new way of life.

*1 Avatars, like teleoperated robots or characters in cyberspace, share sensory perceptions with humans and engage in social activities. In this project, avatars function as semi-autonomous agents, and when combined with AI technology, they are applications that extend human physical, cognitive, and perceptual capabilities.

*2 AI-assisted BMI-CA: Cybernetic Avatar (CA) that can decipher words and actions in the user's head with high precision according to the combination of different types of BMI by machine learning of AI. This project uses non-contact BMI to estimate behavior from environmental sensors, non-invasive BMI to decode words and behavior from EEG on the scalp surface, and invasive BMI to decode from brain information near the dura mater during surgical procedures.

R&D theme progress reports

Performers

Theme [1][4] USHIBA Junichi Keio University
Theme [1] FURUYA Shinichi Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Theme [1] WATANABE Katsumi Waseda University
Theme [1] KOIZUMI Ai Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Theme [2] SASAI Shuntaro Araya, Inc.
Theme [2] HAYASHI Ryusuke National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Theme [2] OIZUMI Masafumi The University of Tokyo
Theme [2] Arulkumaran Kai Araya, Inc.
Theme [2] REKIMOTO Junichi The University of Tokyo
Theme [2] KOIKE Hideki Institute of Science Tokyo
Theme [3] KOMATSU Misako Institute of Science Tokyo
Theme [3] NISHIMURA Yukio Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
Theme [3] YANAGISAWA Takufumi The University of Osaka
Theme [3] Edward F. Chang University of California, San Francisco
Theme [4] AKUTSU Kan Araya, Inc.
Theme [4] KANAI Ryota Araya, Inc.
Theme [4] TAKEMI Mitsuaki Hiroshima University
Theme [4] KOMAMURA Keigo Keio University
Theme [4] WAKE Hiroaki National Institute for Physiological Sciences
Theme [5] SEKITANI Tsuyoshi The University of Osaka
Theme [5] NAKAMURA Hajime The University of Osaka
Theme [5] UEMURA Takafumi The University of Osaka
Theme [5] David Grayden The University of Melbourne

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