March 2021 Vol. 19 No. 332021

https://www.ntt-review.jp/archive/2021/202103.html

View from the Top
Naoki Tani, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology
Officer, Executive General Manager of R&D Innovation
Division, NTT DOCOMO

Front-line Researchers
Koji Muraki, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT
Basic Research Laboratories

Feature Articles
NTT R&D Forum 2020 Connect
Special Sessions
Sports & Live Entertainment Viewing Re-imagined in the
Post-coronavirus Era
Challenges of NTT Space Environment and Energy
Laboratories in the Coming Space Millennium

Feature Articles
Media Robotics as the Boundary Connecting Real Spaceand Cyberspace
Toward Cyber-physical Interaction for Natural Connection of Real Space and Cyberspace
Improving Depth-map Accuracy by Integrating Depth Estimation with Image Segmentation
Affect-perception Control for Enhancing a Sense of Togetherness for Remote Spectators
Visible-light Planar Lightwave Circuit Technology and Integrated Laser-light-source Module forSmart Glasses
Fine-grained Hand-posture Recognition for Natural User-interface Technologies
Information-display Method for Reducing Annoyance by Gaze Guidance
Presenting Material Properties with Mid-air Pseudo-haptics
Evaluation of Adaptability to Unfamiliar Environments Using Virtual Reality

View from the TopNaoki Tani, Executive Vice President, Chief TechnologyOfficer, Executive General Manager of R&D Innovation
Division, NTT DOCOMO▼Overview
NTT DOCOMO became a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT at the end of 2020. With
the launch of 5G (5th-generation mobile communication system) services, its
business environment is undergoing a period of major change. Society is alsochanging due to the novel-coronavirus pandemic, such as acceleration of digitaltransformation and spread of remote working. We asked Naoki Tani, executive vicepresident, chief technology officer, executive general manager of R&D Innovation
Division of NTT DOCOMO, about the company’s efforts to address social issues
using technology and how he communicates with employees in this period ofchange.

Front-line Researchers

Koji Muraki, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT Basic
Research Laboratories▼OverviewResearchers at the Quantum Solid State Physics Research Group of NTT Basic
Research Laboratories focus on the many-body and correlation effects caused bythe interaction between electrons as well as on quantum-mechanical properties ofelectrons such as wave nature, superposition state, and spin. By engineering andcontrolling these properties of electrons using the heterostructure and nanostructureof semiconductors and atomic-layer materials, the group is investigating quantum
devices and sensing techniques that cannot be obtained with individual electrons.
Such research is expected to enable the development of
ultralow-power-consumption devices and highly sensitive sensors. We asked Koji
Muraki, a senior distinguished researcher and leader of this group about theprogress of his research and the attitude researchers should have.

Feature Articles
Media Robotics as the Boundary Connecting Real Space and Cyberspace

Toward Cyber-physical Interaction for Natural Connection ofReal Space and Cyberspace

Regular Articles▼Abstract

Increasing Capacity of a Strictly Non-blocking Clos Network Composed of Optical Switches

To actualize the concept of IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network), we need a new “environment”
for connecting real space and cyberspace that fundamentally changes our lives without needing to be literate
in information and communication technology. Also essential is a natural means of incorporating thatenvironment into our daily lives, which is to say a function for natural cyber-physical interaction. The following
Feature Articles in this issue introduce the most recent technological trends concerning cyber-physicalinteraction at the boundary between real space and cyberspace.

Global Standardization Activities
Recent Standardization Activities in ITU-T on Single-mode Optical Fiber and Space Division
Multiplexing Technologies