Background
Tokyo is considered to be one of the most innovative places in the world. In 2021, it managed to wrestle the title from its previous holder, Boston (SmartCitiesWorld, 2021). It was accredited for its strong application of technologies, increased digitalization of life, and its performance against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (SmartCitiesWorld, 2021). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the literature available on Tokyo’s technological wonder, highlight the issues to be focused on in future research, and formulate research questions based on them.
Literature Review
Tokyo’s innovation efforts are largely associated with three major areas – robotics, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and med-tech. In many ways, these vectors are interconnected. For example, Tokyo saw a mass application of robots in the middle of the pandemic (Asada et al., 2021). Automated machinery is meant to assist its citizens with mobility assistance, guidance, security, and transport (Asada et al., 2021). An example of such technology would be the NewMe, developed by Avatarin Inc., which was used to allow personnel not engaged in manual labor to be distantly present at their workspaces and fulfill their duties without being put in danger.
Tokyo’s application of the IoT technology saw a massive boom when hosting the 2020 Olympics. Because of the massive influx of individuals not speaking Japanese, the local orientation, transport, and logistics system was promising to struggle (Kassens-Noor and Fukushige, 2018). In order to alleviate that struggle, an array of IoT was implemented, allowing individuals to navigate their roots while also observing and tracking millions of people, allowing for transportation system optimization, better resource planning, and overall improvements.
Finally, there is Tokyo City’s med-tech research and application, which became prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The local healthcare system was promising to be overrun by new patients, prompting for technological application across the entire system (While et al., 2021). Automated systems capable of being operated by patients helped reduce the workloads on overworked and understaffed facilities. Robots were used to take some of the less-intensive practices, and preventative surveying and care allowed for Tokyo’s hospitals to maintain one of the highest recovery rates in the world. These technologies were heavily-sponsored by Japan’s tech-giants and corporations, showing meaningful partnerships between city governments and businesses (Hansen, 2020). These advances, their sheer scale, and effectiveness won Tokyo the title of the technological capital of the world.
Main Issues of Focus
The main issues to be explored in the scope of the proposed research are as follows:
- The first issue to be researched is that of how robotics have been applied in Tokyo, with the focus on day-to-day performance addressing the population’s needs;
- The second issue to be researched is the continuous application of the IoT in Tokyo;
- The third issue is the advancement of med-tech to counter COVID-19 and other threats to public healthcare.
Research Questions
The research questions, based on the issues stated above, are as follows:
- What are the main areas of Tokyo life that have been roboticized and what models are the most prevalent in day-to-day lives of its citizens?
- How was IoT applied during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and how is it applied today?
- What specific medical technologies have been used to address COVID-19 and associated diseases, and how effective were they?
Answering these questions will allow to holistically analyze Tokyo as an example of a technological city and use its experience to enhance life in other places.
References
Asada, K., Komatsu, M., Shimoyama, R., Takasawa, K., Shinkai, N., Sakai, A.,… & Hamamoto, R. (2021). Application of artificial intelligence in COVID-19 diagnosis and therapeutics. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 11(9), 886-890.
Hansen, P. (2020). Tokyo listening: Sound and sense in a contemporary city. Asian Ethnology, 79(1), 191-192.
Kassens-Noor, E., & Fukushige, T. (2018). Olympic technologies: Tokyo 2020 and beyond: The urban technology metropolis. Journal of Urban Technology, 25(3), 83-104.
SmartCitiesWorld. (2021). Tokyo named most innovative city in annual ranking. Web.
While, A. H., Marvin, S., & Kovacic, M. (2021). Urban robotic experimentation: San Francisco, Tokyo and Dubai. Urban Studies, 58(4), 769-786.