From Flying Suits to Nursing Care Reform: The Secrets of Future Development

Through his agency Thinker, he develops next-generation robotic arms, whereas at Shin-jigen he helps future-oriented tasks similar to exhibiting “flying suits” on the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Drawing on his expertise as a former Panasonic engineer concerned in assistive swimsuit design, Fujimoto has launched into new challenges after the pandemic, tackling points in nursing care and fostering social connection by video distribution. “Holding the future first is the starting point to realizing it,” he says.

His workplace, nestled alongside a riverside in Nara, is just not the standard high-tech workspace one may think, however a renovated conventional dyer’s workshop. “The structure is steel, but the roof is river-slate with a Japanese-style design. I love it,” he says with a smile. Fujimoto, now the pinnacle of a number of ventures, carries a number of titles—CEO, founder, and proprietor—however all of them share a single mission: to create the long run.

At Thinker, engineers have developed a robotic arm able to greedy numerous shapes and textures as gently as human fingers. It can mechanically modify grip power and deal with even slippery or delicate objects with precision. Fujimoto envisions a future the place such expertise might tidy up a desk after a protracted day—putting pens again in holders or neatly stacking papers. “That’s the kind of world I’d like to see,” he says.

His different firm, Shin-jigen, focuses on mass-producing future applied sciences. Its “flying suit” showcased on the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion throughout the Osaka-Kansai Expo grew to become a significant attraction, permitting guests to expertise digital flight by VR simulation. Behind the undertaking was a collaboration with Tsukimoto Chain, a worldwide industrial producer that sought to develop human-assist applied sciences. Fujimoto’s Shin-jigen offered the artistic and technological spine to make it occur.

Shin-jigen acts as a “co-creation” agency, aiding companions by each section—from idea and R&D to mass manufacturing and gross sales. “When a company says, ‘We can’t handle development,’ we provide that part,” Fujimoto explains. “We built Shin-jigen to help at any stage of innovation.”

Fujimoto’s journey started at Matsushita Electric, now Panasonic, the place he labored on water-material engineering earlier than shifting to assistive robotics. In 2003, he helped launch a undertaking that grew into a number one maker of wearable help fits. But when COVID-19 struck, orders from factories vanished in a single day. “We did everything we could,” he remembers. “Even now, I feel maybe we could have done a bit more.” In April 2022, he closed the corporate—however only a month later, he based Shin-jigen to pursue his imaginative and prescient of constructing an ecosystem able to repeatedly producing new ventures.

One of his newest collaborations is with Lib Corporation, a maker of grownup diapers in search of to make use of expertise to reconnect remoted care amenities with society. “We were experts at making paper products but knew nothing about AI,” says a Lib consultant. “We needed someone who could help us bridge that gap.” Fujimoto’s strategy begins with mindset: “First, hold the future,” he advises. “Once you define where you want to go, the steps become clear.”

Together they launched a video platform that not solely streams content material but additionally integrates group options. Residents’ birthdays and pictures are shared throughout amenities, fostering connection by celebration. The subsequent objective is to open the platform to native communities, reworking it right into a hub for interplay.

Looking towards Japan’s Expo-driven future, Fujimoto sees a pivotal shift forward. “Until now it’s been the era of software,” he says. “But now we’re entering the era of hardware evolution. The societies willing to take on that initial risk will be the ones that secure true innovation.”

Source: Television OSAKA NEWS