future university - hakodate　Reaearch @ FUN

Research @FUN

Congnitive Science

Human memory in game-playing; Perception-action coordination; Auditory perception of moving objects for the visually impaired; Combining multi-modal information (such as audio and motor information about speech, or audio and motor information about space recognition); The effect of left-right reversal spectacles on the human brain; Visual information processing.

Communication

Facilitating Japanese language proficiency with BBSs; Using multi-media to facilitate cultural awareness; Conditions for creative environments; Learning design: Creating playful and engaging environments for learners of all ages; The development of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTs).

Complex Dynamical Systems

Visualization of chaos phenomena; Dynamics of learning processes (recurrent networks); The complexity of life and biological systems from the viewpoint of mutual synchronization in communication; Protein crystallization; Motility of muscle proteins; Interactive and self-referential systems using biological signals; Quantum chaos at the nano-scale.

Chaos Applications

Controlling systems that may have chaos (such as electronic circuits); Chaos ontology (the study of chaos across different fields, such as electronics, nervous systems, biology, and computer graphics.)

Complex Systems Theory

Partial differential equations of hyperbolic type; Dynamics of future socio-economic systems; Theoretical study of society structures that support universal entrepreneurship.

Habitat; Food; Nature

Traceability system for live fish; Origins of life on primitive earth; The kitchen of the future - cultivating communication and learning.

Emotional Interfaces

Robots that take on personalities to suit users; Communicating with robots using gestures; Software for automating protocol analysis; Interaction analysis (between people, or between people and tools).

Experimental Economics

Laboratory experiments that test game-theoretical and behavioral hypotheses about markets, bargaining, auctions, and social norms.

Interactive Systems

CyARM -- mobility aid for the visually impaired with supersonic sensor and vibratory feedback; Interactive artistic geometry in a virtual environment; Intuitive interfaces to intellectual assets; Computer game-playing; Abstraction of features from large databases (such as the Internet); Personalisation of data returned in searches.

Robotics

Cooperative autonomous robots (lawn mowers); Machine learning of failure recovery for mobile robots; Machine learning of traffic regulation for mobile robots.

Ubiquitous Computing

Textile Net (ubiquitous mobile network using clothes); Secured tagging technology for verification of food origins; Feature recognition from faces to allow automated recognition; Internet protocols; Mobile networking; Tourism informatics; Automated information summary of everyday life activities.

Media Design

"Shizuka" and "Thinking Sketch" artists' support tools; The design of everyday products such as furniture or jewelry; Products of the future.

Phenomena Analysis

Very Large Signal Processing; Planetary radio emissions from Jupiter to other solar systems; Phenomenology of chaotic dynamics.

research

Robotic interfaces

research2

Clothes network system concept

research3

Left-right reversal spectacles used to investigate the human brain

research4

Visualization of chaos phenomena

research5

CyARM, mobility aid for the visually impaired

research6

Waveform profile of a planetary radio emission

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Shizuka: artificial intelligence drawing software

research8

Microcells from primordial protein - synthesis simulation

Acdemic Presence

Faculty and students are actively involved in presenting papers at conferences and academic forums throughout the world. As well, Future University-Hakodate has organized several important academic events since 2000, including:

National RoboCup world robotic soccer event, (FUN), 2000
Japan Cognitive Science Association Conference, (FUN), 2001
Japan Programming Contest, (FUN), 2001
Japanese Design Society Conference, (FUN), 2001
ACM Intl. Progamming Contest, Asia Regional (FUN), 2001
Hierarchies of Communication Symposium, ZKM, Germany, 2003
JSME Robotics and Mechatronics Conference, (FUN), 2003

Collaborative Research

FUN has a centre dedicated to supporting cooperative research activities that contribute to the country, industry, and the local community. As Hakodate is a port town, much of this work involves the fishing and transportation industries.

Foreign Studies

Students are encouraged to gain international experience, either by individual studies and travel, or by organized study tours. A group of students travelled to India in 2002 for a workshop with Indian design students. In 2003, FUN was host to a design workshop with students from universities in Korea. Other groups have travelled to Australia and the U.S. for language studies.

International Community

One of the aims of Future University-Hakodate is to create an internationally relevant and stimulating environment for students and faculty. International faculty include specialists from Australia, Britain, Korea, Ireland, Ukraine, and the United States. Each year, it is our privilege to welcome many international visitors to FUN.

Exchange Activities

FUN has a student exchange agreement with the University of Art and Design in Zurich (the largest university of art and design in Switzerland). We are constantly looking to expand the opportunities for our students and staff to travel abroad and for hosting overseas students and academics at FUN.

FUN is also an official sister-institution to the new "MeSci" (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Odaiba, Tokyo. This agreement facilitates collaborative activities between the two institutions, as well as offering a high-profile location to showcase FUN's research.