Project Research Associate Ryo Takahashi received 2025 FUNAI Information Technology Award for Young Researchers

On 23rd May 2026, Project research associate Ryo Takahashi, Department of Electrical Engineering, received 2025 FUNAI Information Technology Award for Young Researchers.

2025 FUNAI Information Technology Award for Young Researchers

FUNAI Information Technology Award for Young Researchers recognizes young researchers affiliated with domestic institutions who have achieved outstanding research accomplishments in STEM fields, particularly in information science and technology, and are within five years of receiving their doctoral degree.

About awarded research

Takahashi has received the Funai Research Incentive Award for his research and development on the "Development of Body-scale Wireless Power and Data Networking and Their Applications to Ultra-Low-Power Wearables." Specifically, he successfully developed "Meander E-textiles," which enables energy-efficient, safe wireless power and data transfer only near the skin surface. Balancing high stretchability with human safety, this technology establishes a highly efficient biodata communication infrastructure across the garment's entire surface. As a result, healthcare wearable devices can be operated continuously and over long periods during a user's natural daily activities, without the need to strictly manage the device battery lifespan and its placement. Furthermore, he developed "picoRing," a ring-type input device based on this technology. By minimizing the power consumption of wireless communication, he succeeded in creating battery-free smartring for thumb-to-index finger interaction.

Your impression & future plan
I am very honored to receive this award. I would like to thank all of our collaborators who have worked with us on this challenging research and who have supported us in our research lives. I hope this paper will contribute to the future development of wearable devices.