August 2021 Vol. 19 No. 8

View from the Top

• Shinya Tachimoto, Senior Vice President, Head of NTT Information Network Laboratory Group

  

  Overview
  The NTT Information Network Laboratory Group aims to create a compassionate and flexible information-network infrastructure that connects everything. Researchers at the laboratory group are working diligently with pride, joy, and responsibility in creating technologies that will be implemented in society. We asked Shinya Tachimoto, senior vice president, head of the NTT Information Network Laboratory Group, about the capability required of top management of laboratories and the skills researchers should have in regard to research and development.

Front-line Researchers

• Kunio Kashino, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT Communication Science Laboratories and Bio-Medical Informatics Research Center, NTT Basic Research Laboratories

  

  Overview
  Auscultation (auditory diagnosis) has been used for centuries in the fields of health screening and medical care. It has the advantage of being repeatable and non-invasive while providing immediate results; however, because it is conducted in close proximity to the patient, it is challenging to perform on patients suspected of carrying infectious diseases. We interviewed Kunio Kashino, a senior distinguished researcher, who is working on teleauscultation with an eye toward addressing the above challenge and the future of health management, about the progress of his research activities and his attitude as a researcher.

Feature Articles: Initiatives for Smart Agri—Making Japanese Agriculture a Growing Industry

• NTT’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture—Initiatives for the Entire Food Value Chain Using IOWN-related Technologies

  

  Abstract
  Since 2014, NTT has positioned agriculture as one of its priorities. By using the latest information and communication technology and collaborating with industry-leading partners, NTT has carried out group-wide initiatives to promote Smart Agri to solve problems in the entire food value chain, i.e., from production to distribution, sales, and consumption, in primary industries, such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. This article overviews the NTT Group’s initiatives and describes the latest examples of initiatives that will lead to the digital agricultural revolution.

• Future-oriented Agriculture—Strawberry Plant Factory Based on Regional Collaboration

  

  Abstract
  As a social information and communication technology (ICT) pioneer, NTT WEST is aiming to create smart communities to solve problems facing local communities and strengthen ties between individuals and society. Specifically, we are working on “Smart10x” initiatives to solve problems faced by local communities in ten fields by using the expertise and resources that exist in the community as well as those of NTT WEST and its group companies. This article introduces the “Collaboration Agreement on the Promotion of Agriculture and Regional Revitalization Utilizing ICT, Starting from Sakawa Strawberries,” which was announced in April 2021, with regard to our initiatives for plant factories as future-oriented agriculture that is being promoted in the primary-industry sector.

• Local Food Waste Recycling Solutions for Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals

  

  Abstract
  As a social information and communication technology (ICT) pioneer, NTT WEST and its group companies (NTT WEST Group, hereafter) aim to be a corporate group that is well-respected and trusted by the community by using the power of ICT to address local issues and create a sustainable society. NTT FIELDTECHNO, an NTT WEST Group company, whose core business is maintenance work in the regional telecommunication business, has enabled digital transformation of the food-recycling business by using ICT such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. In partnership with Well Create Co., Ltd., which has excellent technical expertise in composting food residue, in April 2019, we started providing local food waste recycling solutions that contribute to the popularization of food waste recycling. This article introduces initiatives of NTT FIELDTECHNO concerning food waste recycling to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

• “Fisheries +d”: NTT DOCOMO’s Solution Co-creation for the Fisheries Industry

  

  Abstract
  While there is no end in sight to the decline and depletion of natural fish and shellfish, the global fish catch is on the rise due to population growth and other factors. The need to reliably nurture marine resources while protecting the diversity of the oceans from pollution is growing in urgency. Accordingly, expectations regarding improvement and commercialization of sustainable aquaculture technologies are increasing. NTT DOCOMO is focusing on the fisheries industry as the main area for industry creation underpinned by its medium-term strategy through 2020 called “Declaration beyond.” Under this strategy, we have developed marine-monitoring technology and aquaculture-management solutions that use ICT (information and communication technology) buoys and cloud computing, thus contributing to regional revitalization in collaboration with partner companies. This article introduces the initiatives of NTT DOCOMO in the fisheries industry.

• High-quality, High-yield Organic Farming with BLOFware^®.Doctor

  

  Abstract
  Organic farming has been gaining attention as a sustainable agriculture both in Japan and around the world; however, it faces problems such as inconsistent quality and yield, making stabilized production difficult. The organic cultivation theory called the “BLOF^® (biological farming) theory” can solve these problems and achieve stable, high-quality, high-yield production in organic farming. NTT COMWARE has incorporated the expertise of organic cultivation based on the BLOF theory into its service system and started to provide a cloud-based farming-support service called “BLOFware^®.Doctor.” The service content and future development of BLOFware.Doctor are introduced in this article.

Regular Articles

• Multi-radio Proactive Control Technology (Cradio^®): A Natural Communication Environment where Users Do Not Need to Be Aware of the Wireless Network

  

  Abstract
  To provide a natural communication environment where users do not need to be aware of the wireless network, we are researching and developing Cradio^®—a set of multi-radio proactive control technologies that combines three advanced and coordinated technology groups: wireless sensing/visualization, wireless-network-quality prediction/estimation, and wireless-network dynamic control. This article describes the Cradio technology suite and our vision for the creation of a natural communication environment by combining these technologies with various social systems.

• Local Light Injection and Detection Technology for Optical-fiber Identification

  

  Abstract
  We developed local light injection and detection technology that enables us to identify the target fiber below an optical splitter. This technology uses the basic characteristic of optical fibers of an optical signal propagating through the optical fiber leaks at fiber bends. This article gives an overview of this technology.

Global Standardization Activities

• Standardization Trends in the Disaggregation Technology of Access Systems at the Broadband Forum

  

  Abstract
  Research and development for introducing disaggregation technology into future access systems has been progressing to flexibly and quickly accommodate various services in such systems and achieve simple system operations. This article reports on the standardization trends in the disaggregation technology of access systems at the Broadband Forum along with relevant development trends at an open source software development organization of the Open Networking Foundation.

Practical Field Information about Telecommunication Technologies

• Grounding-system Evaluator for Preventing Lightening Damage to Telecommunications Center Buildings

  

  Abstract
  This article provides information on lightning damage to telecommunications center buildings and introduces the grounding-system evaluator developed by Technical Assistance and Support Center. The evaluator supports the investigation of the status of grounding systems, which includes telecommunication, power, and grounding installations. The evaluator also suggests methodologies for improving grounding systems in preventing telecommunication and power equipment from being damaged by lightning. This is the sixty-fifth article in a series on telecommunication technologies.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

• External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings