ABOUT US FOR KOSEN
About KOSEN-AT
Our Vision
Employing AT developed at the national technical colleges across Japan, we will support the social participation and employment of people with disabilities, and so contribute to the creation of a inclusive society in which everyone can participate.
Aiming for the revitalization of medical and welfare engineering in which knowledge from medical, welfare, and engineering is integrated, KOSEN-AT has an “AT mind” in terms of engineer education in Japan. What is an AT mind? It is one that seeks to support people with disabilities by centering their perspectives, and to acquire the skills necessary to achieve that aim. We will produce skilled personnel who will lead the future AT industry by training “AT super engineers”: that is, super engineers with AT minds. They will:
Have their own areas of specialization, such as the nucleus.
Have a wide range of insights and culture regarding assistive technologies.
Incorporate the perspectives of interested parties and users via on-site observation and conduct clinical trials to discover and address issues.
Be able to create and develop while collaborating with experts in different fields to solve problems.
Philosophy and purpose of assistive technology education
What is a inclusive society?
“It is a society where people with disabilities, who have not always been able to participate fully in society, can actively participate and contribute. It is a society in which everyone respects and supports each other's personality and individuality. It is a participatory society where people can meet and recognize their diversity.”
* Excerpt: From the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. “Promotion of special needs education for building an inclusive education system for the formation of a inclusive society” (report).
1. Toward the formation of a inclusive society
What is assistive technology (AT)?
(AT: Assistive Technology)
A technology that provides a means to assist a person who has some disability in terms of physical function or movement.
For future assistive technology
Concept of "Future AT: Extended-AT"
A technical measure that supports the formation of a inclusive society by targeting the environment and society surrounding people with disabilities, in addition to the physical and mental disabilities that conventional assistive technologies have targeted.
With "Future AT: Extended-AT"
We will utilize assistive technologies to create solutions that will lead to the realization of a inclusive society, collaborating with the relevant stakeholders and with the participation of the parties concerned.
1. Promote support activities based on a new human capacity development model through the social implementation of future technology.
We have adopted a model for the human capacity development of AT super engineers, and are promoting support activities that are based on it.
Two actions to realize a inclusive society
2. Promote collaboration across different sectors.
Correspondence to social contexts (environment, society)
"Future AT: Extended-AT" is required to present solutions that address wider social contexts, such as the environment or society.
For example, it may be used to create a work environment (physical space, work jigs, appropriate information environment) where people with disabilities and the elderly can work safely and comfortably alongside others, and in which the diverse members of teams can play their respective roles. An example is an information system that supports high performance in Japan.
Digital integration
Examples include the integration of:
Line-of-sight input systems (for people with physical disabilities) with electric wheelchairs, as well as with safe driving support systems.
Nursing robots and environmental monitoring systems.
Store business systems, support equipment, and support services to reduce barriers to employment of people with disabilities.
Monitoring services for the elderly living alone and various support devices and services.
Agricultural work support equipment and micrometeorological observation system installed on farms.
Vital data acquired using the Internet of Things and similar technologies with multiple support devices and support services to create an integrated support environment that closely fits the needs of the affected parties.
And so on.
A research and development system that facilitates cooperation across different disciplines and fields
To reduce obstacles through collaboration between both medical and social methods, a research system that integrates different fields is indispensable.
KOSEN-AT promotes collaborative research among faculty members, researchers, and experts from various specialized fields.
Why not join KOSEN-AT and utilize the expertise, research, and human power that you have cultivated so far to help build a inclusive society?
Through the AT-HUB concept and the training of AT engineers that support sustainable regional medical care and welfareRealization of an inclusive society
KOSEN-AT was initiated by the "National Institute of Technology 'KOSEN' Welfare Information Education Network of Colleges of Technology" in Japan, which was organized by faculty members of technical colleges nationwide. KOSEN-AT also was started to share information on research seeds in the field of welfare support and local institutions, and to collaborate with medical and welfare institutions, special-needs schools, companies, etc., for the purpose of innovation in the technological field of welfare information education.
Starting with NIT, Kumamoto, Kushiro, Okinawa, Sendai, and Nagano College, AT (Assistive Technology) forums has been held annually for technological collaboration.
In 2014, Nagaoka University of Technology, Toyohashi University of Technology, and the National Institute of National Colleges of Technology started a project to promote reform and reinforcement of national universities by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the aim of fostering human resources for engineers who will bring about new innovations through collaboration among the three institutions. The enhancement of assistive technology (AT) is a global issue, and there is an urgent need to train the technicians required for the development of assistive technology (AT) devices.
NIT, KOSEN and Toyohashi, Nagano universities of technology have trained engineers specializing in machinery, electrical and electronics, information, architecture, etc. However, the development of AT equipment requires not only expertise but also new technical skills (assistive technology skills) that fuse and combine the expertise, and specialists from different fields must work together to develop social Implementation technology is essential. In 2020, the National College of Technology, Japan, launched the Project for Human Resource Development of Future Technology (GEAR5.0/COMPASS5.0) based on Society 5.0.
KOSEN-AT hopes to conduct activities to promote human resource development and research and development of assistive technology (AT) devices in cooperation with various people. We look forward to the support and cooperation of all parties involved, as well as public facilities, local governments, companies, and educators.
National Institute of Technology, Kumamoto College
KOSEN-AT Representative Professor,
Kimiyasu Kiyota (Dr.Eng.)
Event information
![[Children with severe physical disabilities learn programming and create the future] Programming class August 2022-March 2023](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2dfc_1d3a7f8abe154390a5b6af9ebe4fdcac~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_125,h_134,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/9b2dfc_1d3a7f8abe154390a5b6af9ebe4fdcac~mv2.jpg)
August 2022 to March 2023 (detailed schedule will be decided at a later date)onlineAugust 2022 to March 2023 (detailed schedule will be decided at a later date)onlineAugust 2022 to March 2023 (detailed schedule will be decided at a later date)onlineMr. Jun Masuda, an officer of the Kanagawa branch of the Japan ALS Association and a representative of the dignity student ☆ cheering team, received a grant from the Kirin Welfare Foundation's 2022 "Kirin Welfare Power Development Project", [Severe physical disability] A certain child learns programming and creates the future] has been planned a programming class.
