June 23, 2026

An Experimental Psychologist's Challenge to Uncover the Mechanisms of Visual Information Processing and Transmitting the Sense of Materials to Remote Locations

Objects that look so soft they almost invite touch as they move. Images that seem ready to spring into motion at any moment. What perceptual mechanisms enable the human visual system to evoke such vivid impressions? Takahiro Kawabe, a senior distinguished researcher at NTT Communication Science Laboratories, approaches this question from a unique vantage point. With a background in psychology, he leverages computational methodologies to uncover the underlying principles of visual information processing in the brain. He is also driving efforts toward the real-world deployment of technologies capable of transmitting the visual sense of materiality across distance. In this interview, we explore his latest research achievements and the future directions of his work.

June 23, 2026

Pioneering Valley Physics with Two-dimensional Semiconductors

Current information and communication technologies form the foundation of people's lives and economic activities, and much of the information processing involved in those activities is carried out by electrons. Research has focused on properties of electrons other than electric charge, and with the advent of two-dimensional semiconductors, a new degree of freedom called "valleys" has attracted attention. Strongly linked to the polarization of light, valleys have the potential to lead to the creation of new means of information processing and optical functions. We interviewed Haruki Sanada, a distinguished researcher who is taking on the challenge of identifying and controlling valleys in two-dimensional semiconductors.