Development of AI-Based Innovative Remote Technologies

Due to the spread of the COVID-19 infection, the need for remote work to enable social and economic activities free from space and time constraints, such as telework and online meetings, is rapidly increasing. However, the issue of not being able to grasp the situation of remote locations has become clear, and the effectiveness of remote work to improve productivity is limited. Particularly in labor-intensive and face-to-face oriented workplaces, remote work has not progressed sufficiently because information essential to carrying out work cannot be conveyed well, and the suspension of business activities has caused a big economic blow.
NEDO aims to establish the foundation of innovative remote technology in order to expand the remotization of social and economic activities to a wider range of areas and to improve productivity. This makes it possible to estimate the situation of remote locations and to effectively make the other party perceive information using not only visual and auditory senses but also tactile senses so that it is possible to grasp the situation of the remote locations equal to, or even better than, actual visits of such locations.

Regarding "Development of Basic Technology for Situation Estimation AI Systems" that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to highly estimate the situation of remote environment and "Development of Basic Technology for AI Systems that Present Situation through Advanced XR" that uses AI to effectively present information, four research and development themes are addressed in this project.

• [1] Development of Bidirectional Remote Tactile Transmission AI System Using Ultrathin Haptic MEMS
• [2] Development of Remote Palpation System by Realization of Contact Reality
• [3] Building a Multisensory XR-AI Technology Base and Linkage of Mutual Care with Health Guidance for Remote Rehabilitation
• [4] Research and Development of "an Innovative Drone Remote Technology" to Realize Avatars in the Sky using AI and XR
  (Reference) Development of AI-Based Innovative Remote Technologies (Available only in Japanese)

We conduct research and development setting the establishment of a technical base
as the final goal of the project and assuming use cases.

Project Image

HARADA Tatsuya (Professor of The Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo)