KES2023 : Keynote Speaker

Prof. Nobuyuki Ogawa

National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Gifu College, Japan

The Potential and Challenges of the Metaverse

Abstract:

In recent years, constructing a near-future society using metaverse, digital twin, IoT, and AI technologies has been explored as promising to achieve a more efficient and sustainable world. At the same time, technical issues and problems related to data security and privacy are discussed, along with new technologies such as NFT (Non-Fungible Token) technology with a high degree of security safety. We have received competitive funding from the Japanese government for research on metaverse, which is also related to XR, such as VR and AR in Society 5.0. "Society5.0" is a term coined by the Japanese government to describe their vision for a new society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social challenges by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as metaverse, AI, IoT, and big data into various aspects of people's lives. The goal is to create a human-centered society that enhances the quality of life, promotes sustainability, and empowers individuals to achieve their full potential. This keynote presentation will describe the possibilities and challenges of the metaverse. For example, education can be transformed into a highly interactive and immersive experience in the metaverse. Rather than simply reading textbooks or watching lectures, learners can engage in virtual environments that simulate real-world scenarios and allow hands-on learning. Education in a metaverse offers a new and exciting way for learners to engage with content and acquire knowledge and skills. We expect to see even more innovative educational approaches in virtual environments as technology evolves.

Biography:

Nobuyuki Ogawa is a professor at the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Gifu College. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tsukuba. He concurrently holds a part-time professorship at Nagoya University. He has authored many peer-reviewed papers and won several paper awards. He is active in societies such as The Physical Society of Japan (PSJ), the American Physical Society (APS), the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ), and KES. In addition, he has received several large amounts of competitive research funds. He is the head or in a critical position in those research projects.

The following is a list of the major ones from his list of competitive funds.

2004 Oct.- 2007 Mar. The Support Program for Contemporary Educational Needs (GP) Funding Agency: The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Amount: Approx. one million dollars.
2014 Oct.- 2019 Mar. The Acceleration Program for Rebuilding of University Education (AP) Funding Agency: The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Amount: Approx. one and a half million dollars.
2016 Apr.-2019 Mar. Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Construction of biometric information utilization method for virtual space effective active learning (16K00436)
2019 Apr.-2023 Mar. Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Construction of Society5.0 oriented problem-solving learning evaluation and feedback system (19K12246)
2021 Apr.-Present Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, (21H00914) Construction of customizable lecture formats that makes full use of , AI, xRs and self-decoration of textbooks using A-txt technology
2022 Apr.-Present Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Cybernetic avatar design for PBL education that expects educational transformation by DX (22K12284)
2022 Nov.-Present National University Management Reform Promotion Project, Funding Agency: The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Increasing the value of the research and education system and expanding the financial base through the use of the metaverse and resource management at the University of Technologies. Amount: Approx. fifty million dollars for 10 higher education institutions.

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