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Aerospace Mobility
Itoh Laboratory
Exploring Aerospace Mobility in the World as a Laboratory
The global demand for air transportation is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Looking ahead, we anticipate a future where spaceplanes and novel aerial vehicles will operate routinely alongside conventional aircraft, reshaping the landscape of air mobility. At the same time, the aviation sector faces increasingly complex challenges, including escalating environmental impacts due to climate change, shortages of skilled personnel such as air traffic controllers and pilots, and rising geopolitical risks. Ensuring the safety, reliability, and resilience of air transport and its supporting supply chains—critical to both industry and daily life in Japan—has become a pressing issue.
Our laboratory redefines aerospace as a form of “infrastructure of the skies” and is committed to co-creating the future value of next-generation air and space mobility through global and practical collaboration. We work closely with research institutions and experts in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific region, and engage in joint initiatives across academia, industry, and government. Using a comprehensive approach that integrates data science, mathematical modeling,and simulation-based experimentation, we tackle key research themes such as:
・Enhancing Safety through Human-AI Collaboration
We design and evaluate "Human-AI Hybrid" systems in air traffic management and airport operations, where AI supports decision-making alongside human controllers and pilots to improve operational efficiency and system reliability.
・Environmentally Conscious Flight Operations
Beyond reducing CO₂ emissions, our research also considers the warming effects of non-CO₂ factors such as contrails. We develop optimized flight trajectories and strategies that minimize environmental impact while maintaining performance and safety.
・Optimizing Air Transport Networks
Air cargo plays a crucial role in transporting high-value industrial goods like semiconductors and manufacturing equipment. We apply network science and geopolitical analysis to create robust air transportation networks that support both economic security and global connectivity.
・Expanding Mobility from the Sky to Space and Society
Air transportation is no longer limited to connecting ground destinations—it is evolving into a broader, multi-layered system that spans space and human society. Through research on multimodal logistics and spaceport-centered networks, we aim to shape the next generation of aerospace mobility.
Evaluation of a Human‑in‑the‑Loop Simulation for an Integrated Air Traffic Controller and AI System
Impact of geopolitical risks on the flight tracks of air traffic flying over Japan
An air-traffic simulation modeling single‑engine taxi operations at Narita Airport.
Multimodal transportation expanding from airports to space and human society.
The world of "air traffic" is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Not only aircraft but also space vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles are taking to the skies, necessitating the systematization of future air traffic. We aim to create a new mobility system that expands from airports as starting points. To achieve these goals, we are reinterpreting aerospace as "infrastructure in the sky" and operating our laboratory with the fundamental philosophy of co-creating the value of next-generation aerospace mobility from a global and practicalperspective.
It all began during my childhood spent in the tranquil countryside of Kyoto. On my way home from elementary school, I would often take a detour to a nearby hill, lie down in the fields, and count the airplanes flying overhead. I believed that boarding an airplane would surely take me to a new world. What kind of world awaited beyond? For me as a child, airplanes symbolized freedom and adventure. That sentiment remains unchanged even today. Just as airplanes safely connect the world, we are advancing research and development behind the scenes to ensure that everyone's air travel is fruitful and enriching.
Member
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- Professor
Eri ITOH
Research Area：Air Traffic Management, Air Transport, Guidance and Navigation
- Professor
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- Assistant Professor
Katsuhiro SEKINE
Research Area：Air Traffic Control, Information Science, Air Traffic Simulation
- Assistant Professor
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