AI Interview Magazine 'AI Future Talks' Vol. 8 Featuring Professor Kota Minamizawa Now Available
Defide Inc. has released the 8th installment of its interview series 'AI Future Talks,' featuring Professor Kota Minamizawa from Keio University. The discussion explores 'Body DX,' haptic technology, and the 'Project Cybernetic being' under the national Moonshot program, aiming for a society transcending physical limits by 2050.
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## AI Interview Magazine 'AI Future Talks' Vol. 8 Now Available
Defide Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tetsuya Yamamoto), an AI/DX consulting firm, has released the 8th volume of its interview series featuring leading Japanese AI researchers, 'AI Future Talks.'
The guest for this installment is Professor Kota Minamizawa of the Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD). A pioneer in embodied media and haptic technology, he serves as a Project Manager (PM) for the national 'Moonshot Research and Development Program' and is a prominent researcher who received the ACM CHI Best Paper Award in 2025.
### AI Future Talks: This Session
【Vol. 8】Professor Kota Minamizawa, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD)
Theme: 'Designing a New Era through Co-creation and Border-crossing'
Recommended for: AI/DX leaders, researchers, and students
### About Kota Minamizawa
Graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo in 2005, and completed his PhD in Information Science and Technology in 2010. He leads the Embodied Media Project at Keio KMD, focusing on 'Embodied Media.' For over 20 years, he has spearheaded the research, development, and social implementation of technologies that record, share, expand, and create sensations humans gain through their bodies—touch, kinesthesia, and proprioception—using digital technology.
#### Key Achievements, Awards, and Positions
- ACM CHI Best Paper Award (2025) — The world's top international award in Human-Computer Interaction.
- Project Manager (PM) for 'Project Cybernetic being' under Moonshot Goal 1 (Japan Science and Technology Agency).
- Leading the 'FEEL TECH' project with NTT Docomo (since 2023).
- Haptic experience projects at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: Reproduction of fireworks' touch and B.League haptic live viewing.
- Executive Member of the Young Academy of Japan / Technical Advisor at Telexistence Inc.
- Recipient of the Keio University Gijuku Prize (2022), Good Design Awards (2012, 2017), etc.
### Three Research Themes Discussed in the Interview
1. Body DX — Bringing 'Touch and Kinesthesia' to Digital Networks
Eyes and ears are already digitized through online meetings. Professor Minamizawa aims for the next step—'Body DX,' where skin sensations and motor functions can also be shared and expanded on digital networks. In the 'FEEL TECH' project with NTT Docomo, they are developing next-generation communication technology to transmit human skills and memories through touch, even at a distance. The demonstration of broadcasting B.League basketball games with 'tactile feedback' to Expo 2025 Osaka showed potential applications across entertainment, sports, education, and healthcare.
2. National Project PM — Humans in 2050 as envisioned by 'Project Cybernetic being'
About 70% of his current activities are dedicated to his role as PM for the Cabinet Office's Moonshot Program. Under the theme 'Development of Cybernetic Avatar Technology and Social Infrastructure for Physical Co-creation,' he aims to realize a society where people can freely operate multiple robots or avatars, transcending constraints of age, gender, and physical ability. His insights on 'Project Design' and 'Cross-border Collaboration' among industry, academia, government, and citizens provide direct suggestions for corporate DX leaders.
3. Co-creation and Border-crossing — A Philosophy to Redefine the Boundaries of Research, Industry, and Society
Professor Minamizawa believes the evolution of humanity is a cycle of 'making the impossible possible,' and it is the researcher's responsibility to achieve this. Implementations across sectors from entertainment to medical welfare—such as using avatar technology to support individuals with autism or social anxiety—reflect a design philosophy that works backward from 'for whom and what to achieve.' He continues to explore how to connect technology with human happiness through the social spread of 'Haptic Design.'
### Perspectives Gained from This Interview (by Reader Type)
- Executives: Foresight into the next business opportunities created by Haptics x AI—applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and remote work.
- AI/DX Leaders: How to integrate the concept of 'Body DX' into corporate digital strategy and building cross-border organizations.
- AI Researchers: Designing 'invisible sensations' like touch and embodiment.
Defide Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tetsuya Yamamoto), an AI/DX consulting firm, has released the 8th volume of its interview series featuring leading Japanese AI researchers, 'AI Future Talks.'
The guest for this installment is Professor Kota Minamizawa of the Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD). A pioneer in embodied media and haptic technology, he serves as a Project Manager (PM) for the national 'Moonshot Research and Development Program' and is a prominent researcher who received the ACM CHI Best Paper Award in 2025.
### AI Future Talks: This Session
【Vol. 8】Professor Kota Minamizawa, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD)
Theme: 'Designing a New Era through Co-creation and Border-crossing'
Recommended for: AI/DX leaders, researchers, and students
### About Kota Minamizawa
Graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo in 2005, and completed his PhD in Information Science and Technology in 2010. He leads the Embodied Media Project at Keio KMD, focusing on 'Embodied Media.' For over 20 years, he has spearheaded the research, development, and social implementation of technologies that record, share, expand, and create sensations humans gain through their bodies—touch, kinesthesia, and proprioception—using digital technology.
#### Key Achievements, Awards, and Positions
- ACM CHI Best Paper Award (2025) — The world's top international award in Human-Computer Interaction.
- Project Manager (PM) for 'Project Cybernetic being' under Moonshot Goal 1 (Japan Science and Technology Agency).
- Leading the 'FEEL TECH' project with NTT Docomo (since 2023).
- Haptic experience projects at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: Reproduction of fireworks' touch and B.League haptic live viewing.
- Executive Member of the Young Academy of Japan / Technical Advisor at Telexistence Inc.
- Recipient of the Keio University Gijuku Prize (2022), Good Design Awards (2012, 2017), etc.
### Three Research Themes Discussed in the Interview
1. Body DX — Bringing 'Touch and Kinesthesia' to Digital Networks
Eyes and ears are already digitized through online meetings. Professor Minamizawa aims for the next step—'Body DX,' where skin sensations and motor functions can also be shared and expanded on digital networks. In the 'FEEL TECH' project with NTT Docomo, they are developing next-generation communication technology to transmit human skills and memories through touch, even at a distance. The demonstration of broadcasting B.League basketball games with 'tactile feedback' to Expo 2025 Osaka showed potential applications across entertainment, sports, education, and healthcare.
2. National Project PM — Humans in 2050 as envisioned by 'Project Cybernetic being'
About 70% of his current activities are dedicated to his role as PM for the Cabinet Office's Moonshot Program. Under the theme 'Development of Cybernetic Avatar Technology and Social Infrastructure for Physical Co-creation,' he aims to realize a society where people can freely operate multiple robots or avatars, transcending constraints of age, gender, and physical ability. His insights on 'Project Design' and 'Cross-border Collaboration' among industry, academia, government, and citizens provide direct suggestions for corporate DX leaders.
3. Co-creation and Border-crossing — A Philosophy to Redefine the Boundaries of Research, Industry, and Society
Professor Minamizawa believes the evolution of humanity is a cycle of 'making the impossible possible,' and it is the researcher's responsibility to achieve this. Implementations across sectors from entertainment to medical welfare—such as using avatar technology to support individuals with autism or social anxiety—reflect a design philosophy that works backward from 'for whom and what to achieve.' He continues to explore how to connect technology with human happiness through the social spread of 'Haptic Design.'
### Perspectives Gained from This Interview (by Reader Type)
- Executives: Foresight into the next business opportunities created by Haptics x AI—applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and remote work.
- AI/DX Leaders: How to integrate the concept of 'Body DX' into corporate digital strategy and building cross-border organizations.
- AI Researchers: Designing 'invisible sensations' like touch and embodiment.