ABOUT

The Cyber Physical Sustainability Center (CPS Center) was established in January 2023 within the Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI) by Professor Yuko Kimijima and her co-researchers to pursue research for sustainable social systems and legal policy through cyber-physical space. The CPS Center is the platform of the R&D project “Intellectual Property Protection and Social and Policy Development of Cybernetic Avatar (CA)*”.

This R&D project is supported by the JST Moonshot Program, JPMJMS2215, under the project “Realization of a society in which avatars can be used safely and reliably” in the program’s Goal 1: “By 2050, realize a society in which people are free from the constraints of body, brain, space, and time.

Social systems and laws in physical space were created in the long history of humankind. Such systems and laws are being challenged for their universality and in some cases are being compelled to transform in cyberspace as technology develops. While those who welcome technological development tend to desire change in society and laws, those who value the existing systems and values and do not wish to change often express a sense of crisis or reject such change. Even if advanced technology is developed, if many people do not want to live with it and instead feel threatened by it, technology advances will not be utilized in society.

Avoiding such polarization of values and the division of society and laws between cyberspace and physical space, individuals can live happily in physical space while enjoying the wealth and convenience of technological and social transformation in cyberspace. If we can realize a society where people can choose how to live their lives according to their individual values and aspirations our daily lives will be more enjoyable and richer.

Thus, it is important to study sustainable values, social systems, and their legal policies through cyber-physical space, while scientists develop technologies.

We call this idea Cyber-Physical Sustainability (CPS).

The purpose of the CPS Center is to conduct research to realize sustainable development goals not only in physical space but also in cyberspace and to promote social acceptance of its results.

*Cybernetic avatars (CAs) here are avatars that provide services to individuals or groups (sometimes called “socio-CAs”), such as interactive behavior CAs, experience-sharing CAs, and manipulation CAs. In the Moonshot Development Project Goal 1, various technologies related to CA and systems for building social trust are being researched and developed.