Attracted to an Environment For Proactive research

I majored in experimental particle physics in graduate school, so I was engaged in work that was quite close to basic research. When I started thinking about my future, I began to wonder if there might be a way to use what I've learned to be more helpful to society. While the knowledge from my basic research might not be directly applicable right away, I believe there are ways I can still contribute with what I've learned. I still believe that pursuing truth guided by my own intellectual curiosity is a great thing, but dedicating my whole life to it just didn't quite feel right for me. That's when I started looking into corporate research as another option.

What solidified my decision to apply to NEC were the laboratory tour and other exchange events. During these events where students and NEC researchers presented and discussed their research topics, I noticed that the researchers I spoke with were very enthusiastic and open. I liked the atmosphere they created. They talked about their work with genuine enthusiasm, and it was clear they were truly passionate about their research. I was really impressed by their proactive and joyful approach to conducting research.

During the interview, they surprised me by saying something like, "You’re welcome to join us, only if you want to." That really resonated with me. They said, "We’d love to work with you, so if this is where you want to be, come join us. Of course, we'll support your decision, even if you choose another company. But if you decide to come here, let's work together." Some other companies where I interviewed expressed a strong desire for me to join them, for which I was very grateful. However, none had the same approach as the researchers at NEC. Each researcher there is independent, respects others, and pursues their research interests passionately. The attitude I experienced at NEC could only come from such individuals, and that is why I chose NEC.

Using facial information for daily healthcare

From my third year at NEC, I began researching how to understand health conditions and inner states by actively using facial information. This direction was inspired by my supervisor's advice; he suggested that since my work involves using facial information and attributes rather than face recognition itself, pursuing applications in areas like healthcare could be more fitting. I agreed with his insight and joined a new team led by Ms. Umematsu from our laboratory.

Our team engages in both individualistic and corporate research, collaborating with business unit members to present demonstrations at exhibitions. This is also interesting in its own way.

We are currently developing a preliminary demonstration for research purposes that uses smartphone-captured facial images to estimate indicators such as pulse rate, respiratory rate, SpO2, and other metrics associated with inner states. By integrating insights from future collaborative research with universities and university hospitals, I hope to develop an application that allows individuals to detect changes in their health conditions on their own. Our primary mission is to extend the healthy lifespan of society as a whole through the ubiquitous use of smartphones.

NEC Laboratories attract researchers with a variety of specialties and backgrounds. In addition to biometric authentication and healthcare, which are my areas of focus, NEC engages in diverse research topics such as natural language models, telecommunications technologies, and quantum computing, comparable to those found at universities. I am currently enjoying my research, but even if I had encountered themes that didn't suit me, I believe I would have found at least one area that fit my interests and allowed me to work proactively.

At NEC, being directed by a supervisor to pursue a specific research topic in a specified manner is quite rare. It is important to independently find and pursue topics of your own choosing and interest. Naturally, such freedom is accompanied by responsibility. I believe NEC offers an excellent environment for those who are fully aware of and can manage these responsibilities.

This is why I encourage students to consider their career paths based on their desire to conduct specific research, rather than being constrained by the categorization of corporate versus academic research. Consider whether you can undertake that research and find joy in it—this will lead to a fulfilling research life.