Has the Big Earthquake Changed the Japanese Vision of the Future Ubiquitous Computing Applications?

2011/10/28

ARTEMIS and ITEA2 Co-summit 2011 Helsinki, Finland

Dr. Ken Sakamura,

Professor, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Studies, The University of Tokyo

Director, YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory

Chair, T-Engine Forum

Self-Introduction

■ Main interest in real-time embedded computer systems ■ Involved in TRON Project A computer architecture project, running for more close to 30 years since 1984. “TRON” stands for “The Real-time Operating system Nucleus”. Result: Very popular ITRON specification for real- time OS for embedded systems. • More than 60 percent market share in Japan. ■ Current Interest: Ubiquitous Computing = The application of the 21st century

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Today’s Talk

Let me explain a long-running IoT project in Japan, first, before discussing the impact of the earthquake. ■ TRON Project It has a surprising similarity with ARTEMIS’s vision. ■ Earthquake’s Impact  The Application of the IoT: Energy Saving, CO2 reduction  TRON Smart House ■ From Houses to Cities  Tokyo ubiquitous Technology Project ■ Embedded Systems as Society’s Neural Backbone  SRA2011’s view  Planned Rolling Blackouts and SmartGrid/SmartMetering. ■ Summary  International Cooperation  The Answer to the title question

March 11, 2011 14:46:18.1

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VIDEO

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Earthquake in Japan, March 11, 2011 ■ Epicenter off the coast of Pacific North East of Honsyu Island (main island) ■ Tsunamis that followed the initial tremor devastated the area. ■ Close to 20,000 people were killed. ■ Damage by the tremor and the tsunamis, and the release of radioactive material from the damaged nuclear reactor cores forced 150,000 people (initially) to be dislocated from where they lived.

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The IoT Project in Japan and the Earthquake R&D activities on the IoT or ubiquitous computing TRON Project (under my leadership) The sheer size of the earthquake and the damage by the tsunamis forced researchers to look into the application of the IoT for relief work. 9

TRON Project

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TRON Project Since 1984 The Real-time Operating system Nucleus

1986: ITRON Specification OS Industrial TRON

2002: T-Kernel

Hayabusa (Falcon) JAXA BepiColombo (Exploration of the planet, Communication Unit (DHU) used Mercury) JAXA/ESA μITRON2.0 specification OS. (European Space Agency) Data Communication I/F for the vehicle, SpaceWire node, uses T-Kernel/SE.

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Products That Deploy TRON OS

DVD Recorder HITACHI

Lexus TOYOTA

Electronic AQUOS Piano SHARP YAMAHA

Colorio Car Navigation System printer EXLIM BOSCH EPSON CASIO

Why is TRON so popular? Open & Free

All the technical information is publicly available. Source program is provided. Anyone can use TRON for free.

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Ultimate Goal of TRON Project

■ The use of embedded system technology for the future applications of the IoT. ■ In such applications computing nodes with sensors and actuators, i.e., embedded system nodes, are networked together to offer advanced services.

The Vision of Future Computing TRON Project since 1984 ■ “…most machines in our surrounding environment including pieces of furniture will use computers. It is conceivable that 100 computers for a man will exist.” … Ken Sakamura: “The Objectives of TRON Project,” in TRON Project 1987, Springer-Verlag, 1987, pp. 3-16.

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TRON Project

■ Joint effort of Industry and Academia ■ Open Approach: make the results widely available ■ Many participants from outside Japan ■ Making the necessary components ourselves ITRON specification OS: specification and sample implementation T-Kernel: specification AND a single source repository of official implementation(!) ■ Difference with ARTEMIS(?)

International Cooperation ■ EU FP7 CASAGRAS2 project ■ Cooperative project in WUXI (China)

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International Cooperation

■ Finland  Tekes joined T-Engine Forum.  Finnish delegation including the minister of transportation and communication Ms. Linden visited.  The MOU has been signed with VTT.

T-Engine Forum http://www.t-engine.org/

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T-Engine Forum

■ An NPO to promote TRON Project ■ Chair: Dr. Ken Sakamura ■ Distribute specification, source code for RTOS free  T-Kernel, T-Kernel2.0, uT-Kernel, etc. ■ Operates uID Center under its umbrella ■ Close to 300 members world-wide  government, big business, SME, academia ■ A very similar function in private sector, to that of ITEA2 plays. From the web page of ITEA2 (emphasis mine) :  We stimulate and coordinate industry-driven, business-oriented, pre- competitive R&D by bringing together partners from industry, universities and research institutes in strategic projects.

Striking Similarity with ARTEMIS SRA2001 ■ Strategic Research Agenda 2011 (SRA2011) ■ Very similar to what TRON Project envisions ■ Inevitable (?) convergence due to shared background of industrialized nations. Graying of society Energy crunch Search for clean and safe energy sources Smart cities, comfortable and eco-friendly living environment Safe and efficient transportation (ITS)

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Earthquake’s Impact

Earthquake Has…

Hastened the pace of certain R&D activities Placed different emphasis on different topics Example: Energy saving

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Energy Saving: the Application of the IoT, a Case in Point ■ Embedded systems can NOT produce energy, but they can help the efficient usage of precious energy sources and reduce waste. ■ Even BEFORE the earthquake, Japanese government has made efforts to reduce CO2 emission by agreeing to Kyoto Protocol. About 70% of electricity in Japan is produced by burning oil/gas/coal, etc.

Reducing CO2 Emission and Energy Waste ■ Already much has been done in the industry sector. ■ The remaining squeeze has to be done in the ordinary households and public places. ■ Traditional Approaches The use of energy efficient appliances and devices Using sensor networks to monitor usage and human movements to turn off non-essential or unused devices The use of energy-efficient parts for devices such as CPUs, sensor network nodes, LEDs, TVs, air- conditioners, etc. to begin with

■ Reducing energy usage at homes

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Visualization of Energy Usage

■ Important element to reduce energy usage Such visual data motivates people to strive for more reduction of electricity usage if possible.

■ Various old and new approaches have been consolidated into TRON Smart House Approach.

TRON Smart Houses

■ Have implemented these energy saving features in a series of TRON Smart Houses. The first one built in 1989. • The first large scale house built using the concept of today’s ubiquitous computing experiment. The second one in 2004. The third in 2009. ■ TRON House is the ultimate example of ubiquitous computing based on uID architecture.

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TRON House

■ How technologies affect the society in general: living style, houses, cities, and environment(s).

Cooperative Action of Nodes in Smart House

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Eco-Friendliness: PAPI, House of Sustainability

New Electricity Source: An Automobile! ■ A renewed attention or new focus on the following facts: TOYOTA Prius, a hybrid car, can generate electricity. The same car also acts as a large rechargeable battery.

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VIDEO

PAPI

From Houses to Cities

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Projects All over Japan (slightly old map)

Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project in Ginza

infrared marker

passive RFID tag RF Active Tag and ucodeQR

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Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project in Ginza: in Normal Times ■ The same infrastructure is used for sight-seeing, shop/restaurant guide, helping the physically- challenged in normal times

Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project in Ginza: in EMERGENCY ■ The same infrastructure is used for Aid and relief such as • evacuation route guidance, • locating family members, etc. in times of disasters such as seasonal typhoons (name of seasonal storms in the north western Pacific) and earthquakes

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i-Box

■ i-Box: an information Kiosk that can talk to the global Internet via satellite when the ground-based communication network is destroyed after an earthquake.

Have We Prepared for a Big Earthquake Enough? ■ Not enough We have performed feasibility studies and pilot projects in selected areas of Tokyo. But it has not been wide-spread to the rest of Japan. ■ Very regrettable ■ However, a satellite communication unit developed in the R&D efforts WERE used in the communication network immediately after the earthquake and was found very useful (!)

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Embedded Systems as Society’s Neural Backbone

SRA2011: Analogy of the Embedded Systems in Society as Neural Backbone

■ A good observation with which we agree completely! ■ But now an interesting observation or question: Is the safety or well-being of the whole body (whole society) in agreement with a particular individual organ (say, a house or a neighborhood) all the time?

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A Case in Point: Planned Rolling Blackouts ■ The big earthquake in March shutdown many power generation plants, and destroyed the distribution network. ■ An imminent large-scale blackout was predicted. ■ Initially, electric utility companies introduced “Planned Revolving/Rolling Blackouts” to avoid a large scale blackout by cutting electricity in some areas by rotation to reduce the total electric consumption. ■ The country coped with the electricity crunch by shifting the opening days and working hours of factories and offices eventually during the summer of 2011. An AMAZING FEAT!

Problem with the Planned Rolling Blackouts: Crude Control ■ The control was done very coarsely initially. ■ A large town or an area was the unit of control. ■ Areas with big hospitals with large number of beds were spared from the blackouts. ■ But, Life and death problems in blackout areas, of houses or small hospitals with sick people in the bedrooms with electric medical aid that cannot withstand prolonged power blackouts.

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Smart-Grid/Smart Metering

■ We aim for more fine-grained control of the supply of electricity based on the advent of Smart-Grid technology incorporating more fine-grained measurement of the usage of electricity taking into account the needs for electricity at individual homes and buildings (inputting the policy of users’ end to the control on the suppliers’ side.)

Pressing Example

■ The policy on users’ end: E.g., You do not want to turn off the power of a room where a sick patient is resting. ■ Combine the policies of such households and buildings, and decide how the total area consumption or peak usage can be reduced.

■ Interpretation under the metaphor, “Neural backbone being the embedded systems” ■ Safety or well-being of an individual organ (a room, a household or a hospital) is considered by the body as a whole (the town or a larger area controlled by electric utility company).

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Summary

Welcome cooperation proposal

■ We will welcome cooperation proposal. We have already Participated in EU FP7 CASAGRAS2 project Started joint project in Wuxi, China Many, many more. ■ Crunch of R&D funding The earthquake in Japan Financial Crisis in EU More reasons to cooperate! Let’s find a way to work together.

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The answer to the title question

■ “Has the Big Earthquake Changed the Japanese Vision of the Future Ubiquitous Computing Applications?” “No, not much.” ■ There have been a shift of priorities fine adjustment of courses

EU-Japan IoT Initiative

■ What many people have asked before: ■ An EU organization is in the works thanks to the help of partners in EU countries  For EU entities • To get ahead using the lessons and technologies from the applications already done in Japan  For Japanese entities • To gain access to ideas and projects in EU  For both entities, • To share ideas, talents, project and funding opportunities if possible  Initial idea • A central office in Europe for communication • Distributed R&D teams in EU countries • A demo room or two in EU countries • Participation in events (conferences, talks, exhibition, etc.)  Will be a membership-based operation ■ Stay tuned for an official announcement soon.

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Kiitos Thank you!

http://www.uidcenter.org

Appendix

■ How to retrieve the video clips To look at the video clips, please visit the website of YouTube and search for “uIDcenter” (without the quotes). You can find the videos used here and other interesting clips there. http://www.youtube.com/