InnoUvators | The Next Wave of Strange Science & Unusual Technology

2021/05/26

As a result of the high light pollution seen in the night sky of Tokyo, it is difficult to see many of the billions of stars in the night sky. Utilizing machine learning, this technology is able to visualize a "beautiful night sky" with very little effort of the user. As a result, the threshold for entry into astrophotography can be significantly lowered, it would also be possible to implement this technology into existing technology such as smartphones and cameras. This research hopes to improve the accuracy of the DNN (Deep Neural Network) model itself.

2022/01/11

As computers evolve, cameras are also evolving. Conventionally, cameras have been objects that simply record images of a scene. However, now, by reviewing the imaging system from the ground up for post-processing by a computer, the camera can capture the temperature of an object, the shape of an object, and the material of an object. In this project, we will develop a camera that can capture the "viscosity/elasticity" of an object, which is still unexplored in the camera industry. By doing so, we aim for a future in which quantification of palpation in the medical field, palpation of affected parts that cannot be directly contacted by human hands, such as during endoscopic surgery, and simple measurement of freshness and maturity of fresh food in ordinary households to be possible.

2021/01/01

By introducing a pressurized fluid to a container filled with a particulate substance, the substance can be liquefied. This phenomenon is called a “fluidized bed" and has been used in many industrial fields for things such as incinerators, but has not been used in interface applications that humans directly get involved with. For example, by using sand as the powder/granular material and air as the fluid, and then projecting an image on the surface of the sand, you can create something that can walk on or swim through the sand at the flip of a switch. We study how to use various combinations of particulate and liquid substances to develop new, never-before-experienced interfaces that allow free control of solid and liquid phases.

2021/01/31

Using digital fabrication & open source IoT technology, "Wasted Creation" is developing "useless" products as web content. Products created up until now are sharred on social media and feedback is taken from users/followers. By using technology in humorous ways, new possibilities of use and aspects of technology can be discovered effortlessly. Rather than using rationalility to develop new ideas, these products are inspired by emotions and desires of the individual - allowing for a new perspective in technology development. The overall goal is to explore a new index that connects technology with society.

2021/02/01

As the performance of semiconductors (MPUs) has improved, embedded OSs have gradually become more bloated. At the same time, ultra-small MPUs, just a few millimeters in size, have been developed and ubiquitous computing has become a reality. However, despite MPUs small enough to be embedded in living bodies appearing, there has been no embedded OS with an ultra-small, lightweight implementation - a technological white space has arisen. Therefore, with INNO-vation, we aimed to develop a reliable embedded OS that can be implemented into robots & organisms alike. Unlike conventional OSs, we intend to apply the OS to an ultra-lightweight implementation and ultra-small MPU. We aim to enter a field where no similar OS has existed before. Although we were not able to obtain a third-party certification as proof of high reliability, we aimed to apply our findings to organisms. As such, we developed a system to guide living organisms like robots and named it Biological Swarm Control (R). Currently, we are aiming to commercialize this technology into aquaculture to target underwater organisms (such as fish). For example, by automatically guiding the fish the system can automate the catching process. In the future, we hope to expand this tech outside of just aquatic animals and have a method of controlling any living creature like a robot, not only underwater but also on land and in the air.

2021/01/01

Udar is an electronic musical instrument that has a simple interface and combines step-less pitch like a violin and chord performance like a piano. You can play any temperament from Western music to folk music. A practical-grade Udar has already been completed, but the production cost is high and this is a major hindrance to the development. In this project, in order to reduce costs and improve performance, we will develop the electronic musical instrument Udar whose format has been greatly changed. If Udar spreads, it can be expected to contribute to the fusion of Western music and other music and to the creation of completely new music.

2021/11/12

As part of his challenge, Morishita develops the iOS application'ARama!' Using a machine learning model to estimate the contour and depth of a person in the camera space, 'ARama!' provide a mechanism that allows users to multiply the bodies of people around them one after another and freely place them as objects in AR space. Through 'ARama!', users will be able to encounter interesting and unique visual expressions using their bodies and discover brand new play experiences in AR.  

2021/10/27

Stethoscopes are widely used in the medical field as devices to listen to sounds from the heart (hearbeat) and lungs (breathing). The "super stethoscope" is currently under research and development for the automatic diagnosis assistance function of cardiac diseases and the social implementation of remote auscultation, but it is an extension of the current conventional stethoscope. On the other hand, the concept of the proposed "Steth♡scope," or 'Super Stethoscope,' is a little different, and we will conduct research and develop prototypes to quantify the autonomic nervous system based on the loudness of the heartbeat and heart rate variability.