Prof. Harumi Watanabe
(Tokai University)
Title:
Common Problems Towards a Digital Future World
—From Manufacturing to Value Creation—
Abstract:
In recent years, we often hear that an era has been entering a disruption in the economy because of massive technological innovation. IPSJ Special Interest Group on Embedded Systems (SIGEMB) was founded in 2005. In those years, the technologies of embedded systems were also a time of change. The change was probably smaller than now. In the field of software, Software Product Lines and Model-Driven Development (MDD) began to be popular.
To prepare for the SIGEMB, we discussed embedded software in a small group in SIGSE (IPSJ Special Interest on Software Engineering). The theme was to discover “common problems.” In the field of embedded systems, the “common Problems” were key points because the field crosses several fields. The robot challenge was one theme of those common problems. The first name of the robot challenge was MDD robot challenge. The APRIS Robot Challenge is the successor to the MDD Robot Challenge. To spread novel technologies, we need to discuss them and educate people widely. Also, the MDD robot challenge had two aims: one was to give discussion themes for researchers, and another was to give education. As probably known in this field, this education has resulted in excellent effects. Also, in research, the result has been excellent.
One of the core problems in software engineering is the “separation of concerns.” Object-Oriented technologies are a solution to the “separation of concerns.” Several students in the robot challenge have been naturally interested in such essential software engineering. In the theme of the robot challenge, they have considered research ideas and applied them to the robot challenge. Through the activities, our laboratory has realized the significance of the “runtime cross-cutting concerns,” which extends the “separation of concerns”
and started Context-Oriented Programming.
Since last year, the curriculum of the robot challenge has added “Design Thinking” to respond to the requests for service creation in the new era. When the robot challenge began, we focused on educating manufacturing abilities based on MDD and robotics. In addition to Design thinking, we have changed to educate the ability of service creation. The faculty members have discussed and created a new theme every year and are expected to create new technologies.
In this talk, I will introduce the importance of “common problems,” the way our study involves “separation concerns” on the robot challenge, and expect to “Design Thinking.”