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My research subject is spatial information. Some people may think that "spatial information" is something that has nothing to do with them, but in fact, it is found countless times in our daily lives. For example, even if you take a photo casually, if it is clear where you took it, it is spatial information, and information such as "Miso ramen at the local ramen shop costs 600 yen" is also spatial information. Similarly, anything on the ground surface, such as roads, signs, buildings, and trees, can be linked to a "location," so it is spatial information. In addition, map information, weather data, location information of people and vehicles, satellite photos, and data obtained by researchers and experts using GPS (Global Positioning System) are also spatial information.

Let's take a closer look at how we use spatial information in our daily lives. For example, if you think about going out to eat lunch, you store spatial information in your head, such as where the restaurant you want to go to and what the route to get there is like, and when you go out to lunch, you use that information to choose a restaurant. This example is not limited to this example; we all systematically collect and store spatial information on a daily basis, and we can say that we use that information to guide our actions, or in other words, we live our lives using "techniques for utilizing spatial information."

Currently, new types of services that utilize spatial information are spreading rapidly. Among them, communication mediated by spatial information is called "GeoMedia."

Geomedia is a service that uses the GPS functions of mobile phones and smartphones in addition to the functions of conventional geographic information systems (GIS) that use map information, and is rapidly developing. Geomedia's distinctive feature is that it can receive and transmit information that is appropriate for "that time," "that place," and "that situation." This technology allows users to easily obtain useful information appropriate to their current location, and businesses to deliver advertisements and other information with pinpoint accuracy.

In my seminar, we conduct a "geomedia exercise," where we tackle issues such as "communicating barrier information on campus using the web and smartphones." Students find dangerous places for people with disabilities and places that require assistance, record them with photos, and create an app that distributes information such as "where is dangerous" and "what route should you take to safely reach your destination." We are also trying to create content for prospective students visiting the campus, such as introducing chapels and bronze statues using smartphone maps and audio conversations between students.

Ever since humans first appeared on Earth, time and space have been the cornerstones of our understanding of the world. Humans have guided their actions by collecting, memorizing, and utilizing spatiotemporal information about what is where and when. In fact, even in the Stone Age, knowing where the wild boars are, when which chestnut trees will bear fruit, and other such information must have been essential to sustain life.

Looking back at history, humans have put a lot of effort into determining the axes of time and space for society, and into developing technology to know points in time and places on those axes. The success or failure of this effort has greatly changed the history of humankind.

Let's start by looking at "techniques for utilizing time information." Technology for measuring points on the time axis began with sundials in ancient times, followed by the appearance of mechanical clocks in the 13th century, and the development of pocket watches in the 17th century. In the 20th century, many people began to carry wristwatches, allowing anyone to easily know the exact time anywhere, anytime. The state in which information can be easily accessed anywhere, anytime is called "ubiquitous." The word ubiquitous originates from the Latin word, meaning "present everywhere." The invention of the pocket watch made time ubiquitous, which enabled the effective use of time resources and the rationalization of labor management, leading to the dramatic development of modern industrial society in the 20th century. This dramatic development can be called the "ubiquitous time information revolution."

On the other hand, what about "techniques for utilizing spatial information"? "Latitude" and "longitude" are known as societally common reference systems that indicate spatial positions.

Of these, the technology to determine latitude from the altitude of the sun was invented before Christ, and the tool for doing so was perfected as the sextant. However, the technology to easily determine longitude was not discovered until the 18th century. As a result, many European ships trading to Asia encountered shipwrecks at sea because they were unable to determine their accurate longitude at sea, which became a serious social problem.

In response to this situation, in 1714, the British Parliament enacted a law offering a reward to anyone who could develop a method for accurately measuring the longitude of a ship's own position at sea. The reward amount was said to be the equivalent of a king's ransom. The person who solved this problem was a watchmaker named John Harrison. He created a highly accurate pocket watch, contributing to the accurate measurement of longitude. By adopting this watch, Britain became the "master of the seven seas."

It was not until the 20th century that a technology surpassing this came along. That technology was GPS. Although GPS was established for civilian use in 1996 and made it possible to know latitude and longitude, its dynamic accuracy was still insufficient, and accurate measurements could not be made indoors.

Thus, even now in the 21st century, there is still no equivalent to an "accurate wristwatch for time" for space. However, the rapidly developing spatial information technology will make this a reality. If we could create a system that allows spatial information to be easily used by anyone, anywhere, anytime, it would bring about major changes in social life, just as it did with the "ubiquitous time information revolution."

There are three main factors that have led to the rapid advancement of spatial information technology in recent years. The first is the improvement of positioning technology. The second is the advancement of information and communication technology, such as large-capacity, high-speed communication. The third is the opening up of digital maps, as symbolized by "Google Maps."

Regarding improvements to positioning technology, the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite ^(*), "Michibiki," which enables advanced positioning, was launched in September 2010, and there are plans to expand this to seven satellites in the future. Research and development is also progressing to seamlessly transmit and receive location information both indoors and outdoors, and great progress is expected to continue in the future.

In addition to car navigation systems, satellite positioning systems are being used in a rapidly expanding range of applications, including surveying, which is essential for map making and construction work, child and elderly care services, automatic control of agricultural machinery, earthquake and volcano detection, weather forecasting, etc. With the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System improving positioning accuracy and making it possible to grasp positions to the meter, it is certain that unprecedented services that utilize location information will be created.

For example, in the field of disaster prevention, if location information could be used to pinpoint the location of disaster victims, and digital maps could be used to grasp and share the damage situation in real time among multiple agencies (police, fire departments, local governments, etc.), creating a system for optimal evacuation guidance could increase the chances of saving lives.

In fact, Aoyama Gakuin University Research Institute is conducting a project called "Research and Development of Aoyama Campus Disaster Prevention Spatio-Temporal Information System" (Figure 1).This project uses detailed spatio-temporal information such as student attendance schedules (which semester, day of the week, period, and room) and observational surveys using sensors to develop and research a system that, if a disaster occurs during which semester, day of the week, and period, estimates the degree of congestion on the route to an evacuation site from which building, floor, and room, points out dangerous areas, and estimates the number of students who will be unable to return home based on the time between the time of the disaster and sunset.

Furthermore, in the run up to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, the emergence of a variety of technologies and services that utilize spatio-temporal information is anticipated.

In 2009, when the bid campaign was underway, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation committee visited Japan and there was a memorable scene where he put on goggles and smiled as he looked around at the proposed stadium site in Harumi, Tokyo.

Through the goggles, the 16 committee members were able to see the stadium actually being built on the site. But that wasn't all. They were also able to experience the men's 100m final race taking place in front of a packed crowd. This was done using a system called "mixed reality," which overlaid a CG (computer graphics) image of the stadium on top of an actual background image, making it seem as if the stadium was actually present on the Harumi land.

Using this technology, it will be possible to provide hospitality to foreign tourists visiting Japan, allowing them to enjoy the townscape of the Edo period while walking through the streets of Tokyo.

Just as there was a ubiquitous time information revolution in the 20th century, if we could realize something equivalent to an "accurate wristwatch for time" in space, we would see a "ubiquitous time-space information revolution" that would bring about major social innovation. As a researcher, I am watching this process with great interest.

(*) Quasi-Zenith Satellite System
Quasi-zenith means "almost directly above." The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System is a system in which multiple positioning satellites fly in an orbit that covers almost directly above Japan for a long period of time, and transmit positioning signals to the ground from those satellites. The first satellite, "Michibiki," was launched in 2010. Currently, there is only one satellite, so the time it can be used in Japan is limited, but it has been decided that three more satellites will be launched between 2016 and 2017, and that from 2018, it will be operated with four satellites. This will increase the number of satellites available above Japan, which is expected to shorten positioning times and improve positioning accuracy.

(Published in 2014)