| Masao SAKAUCHI |
He has recorded a number of notable achievements in trendsetting research on geographic information systems and multi-dimensional data structures; pioneering research in the multimedia field, including image/video semantic analysis and search; and research on intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Dr, Sakauchi acted as a research representative in the relevant research community for two large-scale research projects: “Research on Multimedia Information Intermediary System,” a new program of creative scientific research sponsored by the Ministry of Education (now, Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), from 1998 through 2003, and "Research on Cyber-Physical IT Integration Platform for Optimizing Social Systems and Services," also sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, from 2012. In addition, he has played leadership roles in a variety of research fields, both in Japan and overseas. In the field of geographic information systems, he served as chair of the IEICE Functional Graphic Information System Study Group and as director of the GIS Association of Japan. In the multimedia field, he was a foundation member of the executive committee of the IEEE Technical Committee on Multimedia Systems, and he served as deputy editor-in-chief of “IEEE Multimedia.” In the area of ITS, he has been the vice president of ITS Japan since 2002, was formerly chair of the Japan ITS Advisory Committee, program chair for the IEEE International Conference on ITS in 1999, and organizational vice chairman of the ITS World Congress.
Dr. Sakauchi has made valuable contributions to society. He promoted science as a member of the Science Council of Japan and of the Engineering Academy of Japan. He was a member of the Technical Committee of the Council for Science and Technology, Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and chair of the Information and Communications Technology Subcommittee, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. He also served as a member of several other councils and committees of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the National Police Agency, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and was a member of the Okawa Foundation for Information and Telecommunications. Dr. Sakauchi has contributed significantly to the development of a wide range of subjects in the fields of electronics, informatics and communications through his work in various leadership positions, including: vice president of the University of Tokyo; director general of the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo; director general of the National Institute of Informatics; and president of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.
For these achievements, he has received numerous awards and commendations both in Japan and abroad, including Best Paper Award, Achievement Award and a fellowship from the IEICE; Contribution Award and a fellowship from the Information Processing Society of Japan; a Radio Day Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Certificate of Commendation; an Ericsson Telecommunications Award; and the French Legion d'honneur (Chevalier) Award.
IEICE positions held by Dr. Sakauchi have included Editor-in-Chief of “IEICE Transactions,” chair of the Technical Committee on Image Engineering, chair of the Functional Graphic Information System Study Group, and vice chair of the Information Systems Study Group. He has also been active in other engineering societies: chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on Industrial Electronics Society Machine Vision; director of the GIS Association of Japan; the director of the Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan; and director of the Japan Institute of Printed Circuits. He has served on the organizing committees of many conferences and symposiums held in Japan and around the world, among them the International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition and the Pacific-Rim Conference on Multimedia. In these capacities, he has contributed to promotion of scientific research.
As can be seen from the above resume, Dr. Sakauchi’s contributions to development of the electronics, information and communication fields through his activities within the IEICE and other related engineering societies, both in Japan and overseas, and his leadership in universities and other research institutes have been truly outstanding. Accordingly, we recommend him as a fellow, honorary member of the IEICE.
