Global Corporate Information

The world is constantly in a state of change, and this change brings with it new value systems for societies and their citizens. The Future Creation Laboratory is engaged in research designed to create future value, that is, "the technologies and concepts for supporting the well-being that future societies and people believe to be important."

Rather than simply emphasizing product function and performance, our common goal is to improve the quality of life in terms of both mind and body by supporting human health and vitality and by contributing to the realization of a society abundant in empathy and peace of mind.

The concept of Social IN, the management philosophy of Olympus, truly embodies the mission of the Future Creation Laboratory.

HIKARI-HI Technology

The Future Creation Laboratory is proceeding with more than 10 research projects within the three domains of Human Life, Humanware, and Optics and Nanotechnology. These research projects were not generated only by the market needs or "technology seeds" that are so often identified as the wellsprings of research. Rather, the source of the ideas being explored is the sense of future value that takes shape in the mind of each member of the Laboratory team when he or she imagines a future society and the lifestyles of the people living in it. While each respects the independence of others' research, collaboration occurs naturally when common targets are established. HIKARI-HI* Technology is what we call coordinated research that can be accomplished through such collaboration.

* HIKARI means "optical" in Japanese, and in the acronym "HI," H stands for "homo" or "human" while I stands for "imaging," "information" and "icons." Olympus is leveraging its optical　technologies to proceed with people-centered research

Open Research to Generate Future Worth

Many elements needed to create new value are developed by researchers as well as within various research institutes as they work together in accordance with their respective roles. Practicing open research is our most important R&D policy.

For example, visualizing the future value needs of people living in an advanced IT society, we drew up an outline of new ubiquitous services. The realization of these services requires a broad base of research initiatives, and Olympus is currently engaged in numerous collaborative efforts, including those with the University of Tokyo Environmental Information and Microsystems Laboratory and the Chuo University Human Media Lab, as well as various projects with other corporations. Our efforts have led to successful experiments in outdoor environments in which we provided timely information services that helped inspire people toward a more active lifestyle. We will continue to widen our research network and advance with research initiatives aimed at the commercialization of these services.

We believe in the importance of envisioning the future and proposing new value before developing new technologies. This requires knowledge of the humanities and social sciences, including such fields as cognitive psychology. We will continue to promote an open research environment, aiming to create new ideas and possibilities from a fusion of knowledge that goes beyond conventional frameworks and established knowledge regarding technology and the humanities.

Changing People and Changing Themes in an Unpredictable Future

While it may be possible to predict some trends in the short term or in one's personal life, the future in general is unpredictable because its possibilities are boundless. For this reason, we do not intend to predict the future but rather envision its creation. As we strive to create, each and every one of us will act as autonomous individuals, and at the same time, freely collaborate like cells within a greater body. Through these activities, our researchers and our research themes will continue to be transformed. This is the very essence of the Future Creation Laboratory.

The Future Creation Laboratory