NOTICE: On April of 2022, the new university opened. From 2022, this web site provides information for the current students at Osaka City University. If you want the latest information, please access to the Osaka Metropolitan University's web site.
  1. TOP
  2. Faculty & Laboratory
  3. Electrical and Information Engineering

Electrical and
Information Engineering

Electrical and information engineering is an academic discipline that studies the nature, structures and logic of information from the points of generation, transmission, conversion, recognition and usage. This discipline also studies the theory and practice of information equipment and the hardware and software of information systems, with a focus on computers. This technology is indispensable and is a foundation of industry and life in our modern society. Electrical and information engineering is based on electrical and electronic engineering, communication engineering and computer science. The combination of these broad technological fields led to the creation of this advanced technological field of study.
Through instruction and research into electrical and information engineering, whith an eye towards taking consideration into the impact of information communication technology on society, the Faculty of Electrical and Information Engineering cultivates specialists who will acquire the ability to adapt to a wide range of electrical, information and communication related problems, and can therefore respond to modern day demands. Additionally, we work to cultivate specialists who can solve yet unknown problems autonomously and creatively.

Close-up Fields of Study

Knowledge Data Engineering

Challenging to develop and intellectualize
multi-legged robots, mobile robots and others
Prof. TAKUBO Tomohito

Prof. TAKUBO Tomohito

Developing application for implementing multi-legged robot

Development of multi-legged robot is one of our major research themes. We are now working on development of application for the multi-legged robot and aiming at standardization of robot movements for respective purposes, for its practical implementation in the society. In concrete terms, we are assuming locations for inspection work etc. for the bridge, and are targeting the development of a robot that climbs, tests and photographs the structure.
Students designs their own robots using 3D CAD. In doing so, they are required to pay attention to the ability to do anything freely on screen. For example, though it is easy to change the shape or drill a hole on screen, during actual manufacturing, frequently there are cases when shape is tough to manage or when things become technically impossible. Students learn such difficulties when they draft two-dimensional drawings of what they have designed, and this leads them to cultivate knowledge and techniques of 3D CAD via designing.

Taking up the challenge and competing in autonomous navigation of mobile robots

Every November, we participate in the mobile robots competition “Tsukuba Challenge” that is held in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Tsukuba Challenge is a competition in which mobile robots are made to autonomously move through real pedestrian environments such as promenades in Tsukuba City, clear various tasks like “stopping before crossing a pedestrian path,” and then return to the starting point. We have been participating in this event since 2014, and are working to improving the hardware of the robot and its control program so as to cope with increasing number of tasks. There are several opportunities to test drive the robot before the competition during which the students obtain data using a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to create a map and program the route while learning programming in a practical manner. In the actual competition, it is not rare to face troubles such as sensor failure or device issues due to bad weather, however, despite facing these issues, students get to actually experience the fun and charm of manufacturing.

Electrical and Information Engineering Research Areas

Electronics

In our modern society, information is carried by physical quantities such as electric signals, magnetic signals, optical signals, and more. We work to research the principles and advanced devices used for control of these physical quantities with high efficiency and accuracy, which is vital for manufacturing.
In particular, we are focusing on light amplification technology, optical functional systems that use nonlinear devices for amplified light, information photonics technology used to acquire and display 3-dimensional images by utilizing characteristics of light and measure biological information, ultra-compact thin film power sensors and micro electromagnetic devices that can become key devices for smart energy systems, spintronics and other hardware.

Optoelectronics Engineering

We are researching application of semiconductor lasers in regards to optical communication, direct light amplification, functional optical devices utilizing light wavelength conversion, as well as three-dimensional shape measurements and the stereoscopic display of objects, the measurement of biological information and other subjects related to the field of optical information engineering.

  • Experimental set up of by direct light amplification using a semiconductor light amplifier

Electromagnetic Device Engineering

We are researching microelectromagnetic devices, micromachines, phased array antennas, and the measurement and analysis of electrical information from living organisms. We are also focusing on developing the world’s first compact thin-film power sensors, that could be incorporated into all electric products. We measure power consumption in real time and reduce unnecessary power.

  • Power measurement with thin film power sensor

Smart Energy Engineering

We are researching electronic devices that use new energy saving methods. In traditional devices, the information is transmitted and processed using only electrical currents. We focus on devices that transfer information using a magnetic flow called “spin current”, rather than electric current.

  • Multilayer film deposition system for the manufacture of electronic devices

Researchers

*Click to view researcher profiles

  • Prof. NOGUCHI Hiroshi
    Prof.
    NOGUCHI Hiroshi
  • Prof. SHIKOH Eiji
    Prof.
    SHIKOH Eiji
  • Special Appointment Prof. TSUJIMOTO Hiroaki
    Special Appointment Prof.
    TSUJIMOTO Hiroaki
  • Assoc. Prof. MIYAZAKI Daisuke
    Assoc. Prof.
    MIYAZAKI Daisuke

Information Processing

We are engaged in research organically combining hardware and software expertise in the field of information processing with the aim of creating new value sought by modern society. In particular, we are researching human interfacing with wearable computers in the form of glasses-type displays that produce 3D images, etc.; in relation to both their use in the medical and engineering fields as well as in regards to subjects such as the endoscope and health care, signal processing and data analysis based on probability and statistical methods, technical modeling of visual information processing and pattern recognition performed by humans and living organisms, and application of these models in robotics and medical image processing, control of legged robots imitating living organisms, as well as reinforcement learning aimed to achieve human-like environmental recognition and action planning.

Information System Engineering

We are researching 3D video interfaces which combine 3D displays and 3D cameras, eyeglass displays (Head-Mounted Display), wearable computers, new endoscopes, medical specimen control and healthcare.

  • Retina Projection Type Display
  • Example of display with 3D camera and 3D display

Information Processing Engineering

In addition to fundamental research conducted regarding statistical signal processing used as a method for extracting useful information from observed raw signals and data as well as engineering models of information processing performed by living organisms and humans, we are also researching application of this theoretical knowledge in various fields, including on the communication of information, intelligent robots and image processing for medical use.

  • Signal processing for controlling radio waves
  • Detecting part of the shoulder blade and humerus on an X-ray image

Knowledge and Data Engineering

We are researching the motion control of humanoid robots, that can adapt to a human living environment, as well as multilegged robots which are designed to imitate animals or insects. We are also researching reinforcement learning, with the aim to develop an artificial intelligence which has abilities close to the thinking power of human beings, so that robots could acquire proper environment recognition and behavioral policy when performing tasks.

  • Integrated limb mechanism robot ASTERISK: can walk on irregular ground and move in narrow spaces

Researchers

*Click to view researcher profiles

Advanced Communications and Networking

The domain of advanced communications and networking comprises a wide range of research fields related to information communication, including information communication networks and information communication systems. We strive to develop technology which can perform data transfers with a high speed, large capacity, high reliability and low power consumption. We believe this will be highly advanced technology that will be the basis for next generation communications. We are also working on the active application of already available knowledge to other fields, and on development of entirely new fields of research, such as the development of disaster relief robot networks and the application of our research results in regards to healthcare, sports, medicine and social welfare. Through these research results, the laboratory of information and communications will contribute to building a safer and more secure social infrastructure.

Information Networking

We are working on the development of technologies for the next generation, in regards to both wired and wireless networks, to enable us to use networks more intimately and with confidence. Our R&D work is directed towards the advancement of network technologies, in terms of increasing speed, data volume, reliability and lowering levels of power consumption.

  • Prototyping and evaluating experimental high-performance routers that distribute information from the Internet to its destination

Multimedia Engineering

The goal of our research is to establish a new foundation for information distribution, integrated with network that use diversified media in a unified way. We are researching and developing methods used to find distributed information quickly and reliably, the establishment of high-quality communication technology, and new communication models utilizing mobile devices.

  • Waist-mounted electrocardiograph and accelerometer
  • Experimental biometric sensing used on a treadmill

Control System Theory

Our research is focuses on the distributed and cooperative control of networked, multi-agent systems. Specifically, our goal is to design effective control algorithms for multi-agent discrete-events as well as cyber-physical systems, and apply the designed controls to networks for autonomous robots.

  • Multi-robot formation control

Communication Systems Engineering

We are working on spreading codes for communication channels and for multiple access in optical and wireless communications, wireless networks for multiple robots, and their application, the application of wireless information communication technologies in regards to health care, sports and the medical field, as well as technology regarding position estimation in wireless systems and its application.

  • Experiment with 20 robots connected with wireless links

Researchers

*Click to view researcher profiles

Applied Systems

 

Distributed Systems Engineering

We are engaged in researching methods of providing various services by distributed systems using a large number of computers connected to a network. We are also conducting R&D of infrastructure software distributed systems. Designed to implement distributed systems, applications using.

  • Video distribution system with position information using an overlay network

Information Infrastructure Engineering

Information infrastructure, such as the Internet and cloud networks, is indispensable for in our modern society. We are researching various technologies and methods to help keep information infrastructure safe, reliable and efficient.

  • A server system for processing real-time big data

Knowledge and Information Systems Engineering

We are researching the retrieval of information, artificial intelligence and user interfaces. We are also studying web intelligence, the extraction and organization of information (text), life logs, library informatics and more.

  • Web Intelligence: Entering a name to obtain information from the Web, creating a resume and display on the map
  • Life log: Extracting information from a calendar, Twitter, LINE or other online sources to help in recollection

Spatial Information Engineering

Human behavior is always relatable to their position on the Earth. For example, it is possible to know the history of an area and think about a future city in this place by using position and map information related to human activities and extracted from various sources. We are researching the application of information about location, map and spaces for urban development with respect to the individuality of local communities, disaster prevention and mitigation, and more.

  • A web system that superimposes and analyzes various map information
  • Field survey using tablet terminals

Researchers

Admission Policy

A society which holds sophisticated information requires far-sighted researchers and engineers with flexible practical skills based on a wide range of related technologies such as electrical and electronic engineering as well as computers and their ability to process, transmit and control information. In our faculty, future engineers and researchers will acquire the ability to deal with a wide range of problems related to electricity, information and communication, as well as the ability to solve yet unknown problems by themselves, autonomously and originally. Thus, we are seeking the following people for our faculty;

  1. Those who have basic have basic scholastic skills in mathematics and the sciences.
    Also, those who are interested in humanities and social subjects such as English, Japanese, society, and have certain academic ability.
  2. Those who have an inquiring mind and active interest in the field of information engineering coupled with a desire to develop new technologies.
    Ambitious people who can pursue knowledge in a wide range of fields.
  3. Those who created programs as a hobby or those dissatisfied with current information systems, and thus have a strong willingness to develop more convenient information systems.
    Those interested in controlling electronic devices and robots.
  4. People with an active and independent spirit, who are far-sighted and ethical.
    Those who have a desire to utilize themselves and other people in society and can work towards this goal.
  5. People skilled at self-expression and who can communicate smoothly with others.
    Those who can actively and patiently work on any task.
    People who can look at things from various perspectives.