December 2018 Vol. 16 No. 12

View from the Top

• Mitsuyoshi Kobayashi, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT WEST

  

  Overview
  Aiming to be a company that contributes to solving social problems, NTT WEST is transforming itself into a pioneer in the era of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence by leveraging the technologies, know-how, and services it has cultivated to date. We asked Mitsuyoshi Kobayashi, NTT WEST President and Chief Executive Officer, to tell us about his plans and specific initiatives in support of the new NTT WEST Medium-term Management Plan that is aimed at creating new value to realize a prosperous, vibrant, and safe and secure society.

Feature Articles: Ultra-realistic Communication with Kirari! Technology

• Kirari! Ultra-realistic Communication Technology: Beyond 2020

  

  Abstract
  The NTT Group is creating new value to overcome the limitations of space through research and development of Kirari! ultra-realistic communication technology. Kirari! goes beyond simply improving sound and image quality; it is aimed at achieving a sense of realism, as though the objects or people being viewed were actually there in front of the viewer. This article gives an overview of Kirari! technology, introduces some application examples, including live public viewings and other unprecedented productions, and reviews trends for beyond 2020.

• Real-time Extraction of Objects from Any Background Using Machine Learning

  

  Abstract
  NTT Service Evolution Laboratories is conducting research and development on the Kirari! ultra-realistic communication system, which can make an athlete or performer in a remote location seem to be right before the viewer’s eyes. This article describes a system that can extract objects from an arbitrary background in real time, which is essential for realistic remote presentation of athletes and performers using pseudo-three-dimensional video and other techniques.

• “Kirari! for Arena”―Highly Realistic Public Viewing from Multiple Directions

  

  Abstract
  NTT Service Evolution Laboratories has developed a display system that achieves highly realistic public viewing surrounding the venues of sporting events. We utilize human visual perception to make viewers perceive the subject in space, including a motion in the depth direction, in order to achieve a presentation that appears as though the subject was actually in front of the viewer. This article gives an overview of an approach to present motion in the depth direction by using visual perception, and a display system that can be implemented with a simple configuration and enables viewing from anywhere surrounding the display.

• 360-degree Tabletop Glassless 3D Screen System

  

  Abstract
  NTT Service Evolution Laboratories has developed 360-degree tabletop glassless three-dimensional (3D) screen technology, which produces 3D images that appear on a table and provides experiences of viewing from the full perimeter of sports venues and other scenes. This article deals mainly with the basic visual mechanism of depth perception and the optical configuration for projector placement used for this technology.

• Video Processing/Display Technology for Reconstructing the Playing Field in Sports Viewing Service Using VR/AR

  

  Abstract
  Sports viewing services using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology have been introduced recently due to the development of sensor devices and video production/delivery technology. NTT Media Intelligence Laboratories aims to provide a sports viewing service using VR/AR to display reconstructed playing field videos without user operation. In this article, we present a video processing technology to reconstruct the playing field for VR/AR displays and a three-dimensional display technology for representing a playing field three-dimensionally on a table.

Global Standardization Activities

• Forum Survey Activities by TTC (The Telecommunication Technology Committee) Technology Research Advisory Group

  

  Abstract
  The Technology Research Advisory Group of The Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC) of Japan surveys and analyzes trends in the standardization activities of Japanese and world forums in the field of information and communications on a yearly basis. These efforts help to establish direction in TTC standardization activities. The results of this survey and analysis can be accessed on the TTC website. These results provide valuable information for individual companies that wish to grasp the latest trends in standardization and evaluate the need to join a particular forum. This article reports in particular on the activities of forums recently added to the survey and on forums focusing on current technology topics.

Practical Field Information about Telecommunication Technologies

• Initiatives Targeting Snow Damage to Communication Facilities

  

  Abstract
  Many communication facilities installed outdoors are continuously exposed to harsh weather including snowfall. This article presents a countermeasure to prevent the bands that secure signboards to utility poles from breaking and a countermeasure to prevent snow from accumulating on overhead equipment. This is the forty-ninth article in a series on telecommunication technologies.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

• External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings