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Emi TAMAKI

Emi TAMAKI Professor, Graduate School of SDM, Keio University

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Research and Teaching Areas

Emi Tamaki is a researcher and entrepreneur advancing BodySharing(R) -- technologies that share rich bodily experiences by enhancing information exchange between humans and computers. In 2011, she introduced PossessedHand, a device that transmits proprioceptive sensations from a computer to a human user. She founded H2L, Inc. in 2012 and subsequently developed muscle-deformation sensors for transmitting proprioceptive input from humans to computers.
She has released FirstVR, a multi-sensor wearable, and CapsuleInterface, enabling shared bodily experiences with robots and avatars in seated or supine postures. These research products and technologies are now being trialed across numerous industries, and are expanding into full BodySharing(R) services integrated with generative AI.

Career

Nov. 2011 Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo (President's Award, Valedictorian)
2012 Founded H2L, Inc.; CEO (current)
2013-2017 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University
2015-2019 JST PRESTO Researcher, MEXT
2017-2021 Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University
Apr. 2021- Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of the Ryukyus (Visiting Professor from Apr. 2026)
Apr. 2023- Visiting Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Apr. 2026- Professor, Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University

Selected Committees and Roles

  • STEM Girls Ambassador, Cabinet Office of Japan (2018-)
  • Member, Okinawa Promotion Council, Cabinet Office of Japan (2019-)
  • Member, Green Innovation Project Committee, METI Industrial Structure Council (2021-)
  • Sub-Program Director, Virtual Economy, SIP Phase 3, Cabinet Office / METI / NEDO (2023-)
  • Outside Director, Okinawa Electric Power Company, Inc. (2023-)
  • Expert Director, Generative AI Japan (2024-)
  • Director, Metaverse Japan (MVJ) (2024-)

Selected Research Topics

  • PossessedHand: Transmitting proprioceptive sensations to humans via electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). Named one of TIME magazine's Best Inventions 2011
  • UnlimitedHand: World's first bidirectional proprioceptive interface. Achieved Kickstarter goal in 22 hours (2015)
  • FirstVR / CapsuleInterface: Biometric input devices for VR using muscle-deformation sensors; BodySharing® implementation
  • BodySharing® Services: Remote experience platform for sharing bodily sensations with robots and avatars
  • Optical muscle-deformation sensors for physiotherapy skill assessment, gait analysis, swallowing measurement, and cognitive state classification

Books

  • Emi Tamaki, Technology as Liberal Arts for Business, Sogo Horei Publishing, 2019 (Japanese)
  • Emi Tamaki, BODY SHARING: A Future Without Physical Constraints, Daiwa Shobo, 2022 (Japanese)
  • Emi Tamaki, A New Textbook of Human-Computer Interaction: From Fundamentals to Practice, Kodansha, 2023 (Japanese)
  • Co-authored, Toward Architectural Informatics, millegraph, 2020 (Chapter 1: 'Digital Ethics')
  • Co-authored, Neural Stimulation Interfaces, Corona Publishing (Virtual Reality Society of Japan), 2024
  • Co-authored, Technologies for Designing Tactile Sensations, Science & Technology, 2017

Professional Memberships

  • Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
  • Engineering Academy of Japan（日本工学アカデミー）
  • Metaverse Japan (MVJ)
  • Generative AI Japan
  • Virtual Reality Society of Japan
  • Information Processing Society of Japan