Research and Teaching

RESEARCH WORK

I am involved in the research, development, standardization and teaching of information and communication technology, mainly the communication network technologies. My current research interests include the following:

  • 5G and beyond network architectures
  • Non-terrestrial (satellite) networks
  • Software-defined networking (SDN)
  • Network function virtualization (NFV)
  • Information-centric networking (ICN)
  • Internet of things (IoT)
  • Cyber-physical system (CPS)
  • Machine learning
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Automation of network control and management
  • Integrated control of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks
  • Cyber security and information privacy protection
  • Technologies enabling the concept of Society 5.0 or Industry 4.0

I was a member of the AKARI Architecture Design Project for New Generation Network or Future Internet during 2006-2010 in Japan. In this project, I designed and implemented the HIMALIS (Heterogeneity Inclusion and Mobility Adaptation through Locator ID Separation) network architecture.

I was involved in the design and development of an IoT directory service (IoT-DS) system with distributed trackable cache servers in the network so that it can store a huge number of records of IoT devices (i.e., control information of IoT devices) and provide very quick lookup of the records. It has been envisioned as a crucial component for the realization new ICT services such as automated driving, smart metering, and realtime health monitoring.

My recent work was focused on the design and development of AI-based network control automation technologies, which could be applied to 5G and beyond networks. On this topic, I was involved in a Japan’s national project involving research institutes, telecom operators and equipment manufactures.

Currently, I am involved in the research, development and standardization of integrated control of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Terrestrial networks (TN), which include the 5G networks and data networks, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), which include the satellites and HAPS (high altitude platform system) networks, will converge in a near future to offer global connectivity of 5G and beyond network services to even rural and remote areas (e.g., hills, deserts, airspace, and oceans). In this regard, I have been designing the TN-NTN integrated network control architecture (INCA) and developing an experimental testbed system for its evaluation and demonstration. I am also involved in the standardization of INCA in ITU-T Study Group 13 and promoting INCA activities in various domestic forums.

I have been involved in International Telecommunication Union (ITU) since 2008 for the standardization of Next Generation Network, Future Network, IMT-2020 or 5G networks, and now IMT-2030 or 6G network architecture and technologies. I am working as a Rapporteur of ITU-T Study Group 13 since 2014. I have contributed technologies to many ITU-T standards (which are called ITU-T Recommendations).

TEACHING

I have been engaged in teaching and supervising of engineering students since 2013 as an associate professor at University of Electro-Communications (UEC), Tokyo during 2013-2023 and as a visiting faculty of Waseda University, Tokyo since 2023. I have taught “Advanced Network Architecture” course and supervised research work of six M.S. and two Ph.D. students. Moreover, I have also co-supervised graduation theses of many M.S. and Ph.D. students of UEC and other universities in Japan and abroad. To share my knowledge of research, development and standardization of advanced network technologies, I do frequently deliver guest lectures at various universities in Japan and abroad.