Two researchers from #UTokyo_IIS and Arizona State University (ASU) have embarked on an impressive collaborative research project in Sustainable Urban Mobility. The workshop they organized highlighted discussions on pathways to the future of this field. What contributions can Japan make towards building a sustainable society, a universal challenge? Insights into this question are found in their collaborative efforts.

Scientists have long grappled with the challenge of observing how industrial materials deform and break at an atomic scale. This was seen as daunting, if not impossible, leading many researchers to focus on developing algorithms for simulating failure mechanisms. However, Associate Professor Eita Tochigi of #UTokyo_IIS has astonished his peers by achieving real-time observations of how crystalline materials deform and break at an atomic scale. He utilized Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in conjunction with a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS).

In recent years, there has been increasing demand for the examination of molecules, ions, bacteria, viruses, and other things invisible to the naked eye that can influence humans both positively and negatively. Until now, identifying them has required bulky, expensive equipment and specialized knowledge. However, Associate Professor Tsuyoshi Minami of #UTokyo_IIS is changing all that with the introduction of handy, low-cost sensors that rely on pigmentary change or electronic chips.

#UTokyo_IIS Bulletin Vol.13 is now available online.This bulletin covers research and activities of Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo (#UTokyo_IIS).

#UTokyo_IIS Matsuhisa Naoji Associate Professor was selected as one of the "Future 50" by the Project Management Institute, which honors 50 young emerging leaders who are changing the world.

Artificial intelligence is widely applied in digital games: It can sense the entire situation of a game and affect the game by giving orders to characters or objects. This revolutionary technology can also be used for real-world applications. My idea is to harness AI technology to create a smart city or a huge AI system that is capable of protecting residents against natural disasters, for example, and making life better for them.

The AICOM project aims to democratize AI research by transforming the collection of training data for gaze estimation into an enjoyable game. Participants play cooperatively, using their eye gaze to communicate words while their face images are captured. The project received positive feedback during a demonstration experiment, engaging diverse people and fostering discussions about gaze estimation AI and AI applications. The project aims to extend its approach to other AI research areas, making AI research accessible to a broader audience and incorporating diverse perspectives.

In this research, a new polymer substrate for glucose colorimetric sensing was developed with electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) and 3,3’,5’,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) hybrid micro/nanofibers. Biodegradable polymer PCL and chromogen TMB were combined in electrospinning process so that fibers consisted with PCL and TMB with diameters ranging from several hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers were achieved. With the piling up of micro/nanofibers, a flexible substrate with porous inner structure was formed up. After air-plasma treatment and loading of enzymes for colorimetric reaction, the substrate could be used for colorimetric assay. Compared to conventional paper-based sensing substrates, the electrospun substrate achieved better immobilization of chromogen so that a higher sensitivity. Also, the morphology of electrospun substrate could be tuned to meet potential further sensing requirements.

Industrial robots currently have limited applications. That's because they are often not capable of doing things that humans can easily do, such as handling soft objects and working in tandem with people. Associate Professor Yuji Yamakawa of #UTokyo_IIS is determined to change all that, by applying “high-speed vision” to control robots and eventually detect pedestrians emerging from blind spots.