Fusing Creativity and Innovation in Asia's Manufacturing Industry

JST ERATO "Kawahara Universal Information Network Project" is a unique research program that unites researchers in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI), robotics, and electrical engineering in Japan.1 The program aims to explore the technologies needed for the next generation of the Internet of Things and HCI. The program's cross-disciplinary approach has brought unique research results through collaboration among different fields. Since the Asian region, including Japan, is a unique global manufacturing hub, this crossroads brought together experts from various fields of manufacturing, including top fashion designers, architects, and manufacturers of building machinery and materials. Developing soft robots required a unique control method and new materials. One such notable success story is found in wireless power transfer technology. We devised a new structure called the Multi-mode Quasistatic Cavity Resonator to create a space that can transmit tens of watts of power anywhere in a three-meter square room.2