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Technology and Communication

Our communication technologies are constantly developing and changing the way we interact. We are interested in investigating the role of technologically mediated communications.

Fig.1. Image of Technology and Communication (click to view larger image)

Related Projects

PRESTO

Information for All: The Construction of Coordinated Environments for Deaf and Hearing

Digital communication technologies provide Deaf people with great changes in their lives. Pagers, text messages on cell phone enable them to communicate outside their homes. This is a drastic change from days when they had to wait for a fax at home. In the future, it is expected that developments of visually enhanced communication technologies increase more opportunities for Deaf people to participate in society. This research project seeks to offer a guideline to establish an integrated environment for both Deaf and hearing people to communicate through visual communication technologies.

PRESTO: http://www.human.jst.go.jp/

Innovation for interdiciplinary approaches

Suggestions for telecommunication environment in Japanese Sign Language communities

The purpose of this research project is to propose an innovative technological infrastructure for Deaf communities in Japan. Using research on telecommunication technologies and telepresence technologies in relation to existing sign language studies, this research aims to converge these two research areas. Information about bodily movements, such as body orientations and hand positions, is crucial in sign language structures. In a telecommunication environment, it is expected to communicate such kinesthetic information as precise as possible. Uneasiness and misunderstandings are yet to be solved. This project addresses sign-language-specific features and challenges from different perspectives in linguistics and sign language interpretation theories in the hope of contributing to telecommunication design.

Innovation for interdisciplinary approaches across humanities and social sciences, JSPS: http://www.jsps.go.jp/j-ibunya/index.html

Grand Challenge

A proposal for coherent data collection of ordinary interactions

The purpose of this research project is to create a platform for collecting everyday interaction data. Protection of privacy and identity information will be considered along with the maintenance of richness and diversity in collected data. In the past privacy issues were independently handled in individual research projects. We will propose a coherent guideline to protect privacy yet widely represent the richness of data.

The project page: http://research.nii.ac.jp/bonogrand/index.html