Today's IT society has brought to our lives great innovation. However, since it extends from Silicon Valley electronics, we haven't been able to break free from the paradigm that people must conform to technology.  Small displays and keyboards are still our interfaces, making it difficult for people such as the elderly to benefit from what technology has to offer, thus bringing to light some of the limits and issues of our IT society today.

The aim of this program is to create a breathtakingly realistic Face-to-Face communications industry through super high-resolution real time video imaging and big screen displays. This to be accomplished through the comprehensive development and practical application of our laboratory's two major research achievements; the world's fastest GI-POF (graded index plastic optical fiber) with super high bit rate, and optical functional film for high-resolution, big screen displays.  

For the next 4 year R&D period, we will introduce the GI-POF super high speed network into the home, and develop the devices, terminals and various applications necessary to construct the GIGA-house demonstration home where all the results of our R&D, including my proposed concept of "Fiber To The Display", can be readily experienced by anyone.    

I am confident that when the efforts of the many related parties supporting this R&D yield results, we will be one step closer to a society where for example, a senior in a retirement home can easily connect Face-to-Face with his/her family at home, creating a true feeling of closeness, peace of mind and security that cannot be achieved through conventional small displays and keyboards.

Finally, we can bring technology back to the people.

April 1st, 2010
Yasuhiro Koike

Core Researcher,
Professor, Faculty of Science
and Technology, Keio University