Fiscal 2004 ITS Info-Communications Systems Symposium


3. Theme: Ubiquitous Computing and the Future of ITS
Lecturer: Dr. Ken SAKAMURA, Professor, Graduate School at The University of Tokyo

<Lecture Summary>
I would first like to talk about TRON, something I feel is closely related to ITS and that we seem to nearly take for granted these days. Twenty years has passed since TRON was introduced. And back then, in 1984, it was not known whether the microprocessor would be well received and spread throughout society as it has. TRON originally meant "computing anywhere", but was further developed and today is deemed the forerunner of "pervasive computing" or "ubiquitous computing". From the start, it was based on the concept of "context awareness"(i.e., recognition of real world circumstances). And owing to its open architecture, TRON is used for nearly all microprocessors that are designed as built-in devices.

One of the "context awareness" functions is "recognizing things". By embedding a tiny RFID chip, it becomes possible to "recognize things". Take inventory control, for example. Up to now, this has been a "virtual" type of operation because conventional inventory control systems were meaningless unless the data was continuously updated, and all conventional systems inevitably included physical inventory-taking procedures. However, the introduction of the embedded chip as made it possible to recognize the circumstances on a real-time basis.

One of the questions I am frequently asked about is the progress made in this arena in the U.S., and I believe one of the most important factors in ubiquity is "locality." For example, radio frequency bandwidths for ubiquitous communications vary from country to country, and it is necessary to give serious thought to this matter in Japan. In the U.S., one of the most pressing cost reduction needs is found in the distribution industry. However, there are obvious differences in terms of primary factors (large shrinkage loss), justification of the cost for countermeasures (cost of lost products justifies cost of RFID), and frequency assignment (use of UHF). All of these situations are unique to the U.S., and none can be applied as is in Japan. In order to recognize things, an identification number is necessary for each and every object, and the number used for identification is called a "U Code." The idea is to assign a U code to each object and make it "open" for use by everyone. The framework for realizing the concept of ubiquitous computing is the Ubiquitous ID Center, which is an open-platform framework responsible for infrastructure preparation, number assignment and standardization (for ubiquitous communications).

One of the problems ITS faces at the moment is that it is difficult to comprehend the overall development of the field, even though it is true that individual initiatives such as car navigation, VICS, and ETC have already proven to be reasonably successful. The proposed expansion of services may increase the burden on the users, and because of that fear, full-fledged dissemination of the systems other than mainstream applications becomes difficult. Systems must be further developed to the point of open systems, just like the Internet, where everyone has easy access.

Ubiquitous ITS is one of application of ubiquitous computing. Even though GPS is not operational inside buildings, it may be possible to embed a tag for site distinction so that positioning can be verified. For example, the space could be presented in homepage format, and all you need to do is click to get the site information. Any type of media can be used. Not only RFID, but also a wide variety of component technologies such as an infrared marker or radio-wave marker to provide universal service via the "U Code Site Information System".

The key to successful implementation is to make ubiquitous ITS an open system. An example is a project started up by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport called the "Autonomous Navigation Support Project", which has been implemented to provide support for transportation. It's a project to prepare infrastructure not just for the physically impaired, but for anyone moving from one point to another. As the first step, chips have been embedded into guide blocks and also for all those who move from one point to another, and as a first step, chips are being embedded into guide blocks and environment recognition has begun. The system will continue to be expanded to include road construction information, vending machines, restaurants, mailboxes, etc. , creating a mechanism that accumulates various information from the city. Next year, a trial test will be carried out in Kobe, Japan.