A SENTAN  Researcher is Appointed to Accelerate Research Partnership with Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamon, the popular bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, which has a municipality partnership agreement with RCAST, has been appointed an RCAST "SENTAN  researcher".

As part of the partnership between RCAST and Kumamoto Prefecture, Lecturer Atsushi Hiyama (Information Somatics) was appointed a Kuma Lab special Fellow of the Kumamon Platform Expansion Lab(Kuma Lab), established in September 2017 to expand Kumamoto Prefecture's activities. At the lab, he has been involved in the development of a virtual reality world in which people can interact with Kumamon. Kumamon will participate in RCAST's research activities as a researcher in order to contribute to and accelerate the concrete development of this research.

He was officially appointed in a ceremony conducted as part of the "VR Kumamon Experience" event held at the Komaba II campus on Saturday, June 9, during the University of Tokyo Komaba Research Campus Open House.

The participants on stage, who used VR goggles to play with Kumamon in virtual space, were surprised by the appearance of the real-world Kumamon. In front of the startled audience, the emcee announced that Kumamon had been appointed as an RCAST researcher. RCAST Director Ryohei Kanzaki presented Kumamon with his letter of appointment and researcher's card, and said, "We look forward to your activities as a researcher." Kumamon replied, with gusto, "I'm super happy to be appointed as University of Tokyo RCAST researcher! I'll do my best!"

Expectations are high for even more vigorous collaborative research between Kumamoto Prefecture and RCAST.

©2010 kumamoto pref. kumamon.