rick@cs.arizona.edu (Rick Schlichting) (06/07/91)
[Dr. David Kahaner is a numerical analyst visiting Japan for two-years
under the auspices of the Office of Naval Research-Asia (ONR/Asia).
The following is the professional opinion of David Kahaner and in no
way has the blessing of the US Government or any agency of it. All
information is dated and of limited life time. This disclaimer should
be noted on ANY attribution.]
[Copies of previous reports written by Kahaner can be obtained from
host cs.arizona.edu using anonymous FTP.]
To: Distribution
From: David K. Kahaner, ONR Asia [kahaner@xroads.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp]
Re: NIPT Feasibility Study and Workshops
7 July 1991
ABSTRACT. Feasibility study and workshops for NIPT are given.
INTRODUCTION
The NIPT (New Information Processing Technologies) program, informally
called the 6th generation project, has been described in several previous
reports, (see for example nipt391, 7 April 1991). Recently, MITI
announced that a feasibility study has begun, and described its
plans for how international cooperation is to be managed. Apparently
MITI is going to coordinate all NIPT activities through one governmental
agency in each of the US and EC. The NIPT program is now being run by
Takao Hirosawa
Director, Electronics Policy Division
Machinery and Information Industries Bureau
MITI
1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100
Tel: +81 3 3501-2964, Fax: +81 3 3580-6403
(Hirosawa works in the same office that has recently been involved in
US/Japan chip discussions.) Hirosawa is now in charge of NIPT, although
he had nothing to do with it until April 1. (Hirosawa was the author of
the report that I circulated on May 30 about Japan's Information Industry
in the year 2000, info-ind.21). MITI has a policy of rotating most of
their people every two years. This policy is rarely violated, and there
is no loss of stature associated with these moves. Most of the NIPT
people that were listed in my earlier reports are now working in
different groups, and have been replaced by others. Hirosawa will go
elsewhere April 93 (often these people spend one or two of their tours
in Japanese Embassies around the world). One result of this policy, is
that after 10 years staff really know what is going on. This also
de-personalizes programs.
The feasibility study has begun and will last for about one year. It
follows a preliminary study that was reported on in March 1991. If the
feasibility study is positive the 10-year program will begin April 1992.
The NIPT program is now seen as being in eight definite projects. My own
guesses as to the hw/sw components of each are in brackets. This begins
to formalize the way research funds will be spent. Also item (3) is now
clearly specified as a neural computer. (In March this had not been
decided.) While I don't know this for sure I would assume that the
technical leads on each part will not rotate, i.e., that they will stay
with the program all the way through.
(1) Research on theoretical foundations of flexible information processing.
[Theory]
(2) Dataflow ultra-parallel computer based on concurrent object-oriented
model. [Hardware of a special kind, as well as low level (systems)
software]
(3) Million neuron parallel processor.
[Hardware]
(4) Adaptive massively parallel machine. [Hardware, software, but I
don't really know what this means]
(5) Flexible information processing model based on modularized neural
networks. [Neural network models (theory), maybe some hardware]
(6) Research on flexible understanding and flexible inference mechanism.
[Theory, maybe with some software experiments]
(7) Optical neuro-computers--Theoretical modeling, device, and system
technologies. [Hardware]
(8) Parallel digital optical computer architecture and algorithms.
[Hardware for architecture, theory and software for algorithms]
Each project will be conducted by a consortium, consisting of companies
and universities. The feasibility study will examine the following issues
as well as others.
* Each project's feasibility (objectives, time-tables, consortium
members, task sharing, budget, etc)
* Organization of the NIPT Institute, which will be set up in Japan, and
will be the core body for the NIPT program.
* R&D infrastructure in Japan for NIPT, such as computer networks, etc.
MITI will set up a feasibility study committee as the executive body of
the feasibility study beginning in July 1991. Observers are welcome as
representatives of the US/EC.
MITI intends to hold workshops organized around each of the eight
projects. These will run from September 1991 through March 1992.
Participation in these workshops is limited to US/EC companies or
universities if they have the intention of participating in the
consortium at the R&T stage (although there is no commitment), and they
are requested to inform MITI of their interest by the end of July.
(Government officials will be allowed to participate as observers.)
Workshop participants are obliged to make a report jointly on the
feasibility of each R&D project.
International cooperation, which is an important part of NIPT will
proceed in one of two ways, facilitated by an Advanced Information
Technology Forum established between MITI and the US Government and
between MITI and the EC Commission.
(a) The NIPT program will provide funding to the international
consortium consisting of Japanese companies and or universities and
US/EC companies and or universities.
(b) For R&D projects other than those in (a) which are conducted by the
Japanese consortium, cooperation through exchange of R&D results and
exchange of researchers will occur.
(c) In addition, the feasibility of joint funding to the international
consortia by US/EC and NIPT program will be considered as a medium to
long term possibility.
Assuming that the actual NIPT program begins, the MITI/NIPT Institute
will accept R&D proposals from the consortia in FY92, a selection
committee within the Institute will examine the proposals and decide
which to fund, and funding will begin in FY92 (1 April 1992). Funding is
expected to be in terms, with an evaluation at the end of each term
determining if the project will be allowed to continue.
Ownership of patent rights will be shared equally between the Japanese
Government and the inventor (or his/her company). Patent rights belonging
to the Japanese Government can be licensed to the inventor free of charge
or at a lower rate.
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