achieve extra
dimensions of
performance beyond
common sense
Engineer Interview
Creating next-generation
thermal sensors to reveal what
we can’t see, and bringing new
value to the world
Taishi Ano
Joined Sony in 2020
Job description: research and development of
next-generation thermal sensors
Fields of expertise: Nanomaterial design,
Element manufacturing processes, thermal engineering
What kind of research are you
currently involved in?
Using my experience as a materials
engineer to create completely
new thermal sensing technologies
Since the covid-19 outbreak, thermal sensors mounted on smartwatches are also beginning to be used to manage users’ health, as the need for measuring body surface temperatures with thermo-cameras has increased. I am furthering research and development on the next generation of thermal sensors that are able to gather more data than ever. Predicting their application in various industrial sectors, including the healthcare sector, I am in the process of investigating and verifying nanoscale thermal designs to dramatically improve the performance of thermal sensors, ways to obtain materials with low thermal conductivity based on phonon engineering, and device structure optimization based on thermal simulation calculations. My aim is to bring new customer value to the world by establishing next-generation thermal sensing technology that can reveal things that we couldn’t previously see and is undetectable with existing thermal sensors.
How did you get into your current
field of research?
Learning about microwave
chemistry was
the starting point
that led to where I am
today
I was inspired to enter my current field of research after I was assigned to the microwave chemistry lab when I was a student. I majored in applied chemistry at university and but I’d never even heard of microwave chemistry until I began studying when I was assigned to the laboratory. I assumed “microwave” referred to the electromagnetic fields of microwave ovens, and had no idea what that had to do with chemistry, and so, full of curiosity, I applied to be a lab member. At that time, the professor told to me, “Let’s create a new research areas that combines chemistry and electromagnetism together.” Inspired by his passion to research, I too became absorbed in research based on my idea that measuring that local temperature with a molecular thermometer will show what happens when nanoparticles are heated by microwaves. I believe that my curiosity to investigate unknown phenomena and my knowledge of nanomaterial design and thermal engineering gained during my time at the lab formed the foundation of who I am today.
What made you choose Sony?
I felt there would be many
opportunities for my research
to serve a useful purpose
in the world
In my master’s program, I was immersed in the research and experiments I was working on, but my sense of values completely changed when I went to the national research institute in the US as a doctoral student. I attended several events related in businesses and startups while I was there and saw scientists and engineers from a myriad of fields starting up new business ventures in the hopes that their technology could help people, and I too became determined to share my skills with people, using them to serve a useful purpose in the world. When I was job-hunting, I was also considering several companies of chemical and material manufacturers, but it was Sony’s R&D Center that attracted me the most. This is because various fields are being developed such as nanomaterial researches, device manufacturing and software applications. Also, since the group is developing a wide variety of businesses, such as semiconductors, entertainment, electronics, and finance, I decided that Sony would give me ample opportunity to bring the fruits of my research to the world.
What do you consider to be great
about the Sony R&D Center?
Business professionals lend
a degree of
accuracy
to my research
When I joined Sony, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the researchers at the R&D Center - whose backgrounds include everything from electronics, mechanics and software systems to arts and the humanities - but also by the fact that professionals from each of Sony’s business areas are there, and readily available to interact. In my current research and development of next-generation thermal sensors, there are many factors that cannot be determined merely within the research lab, such as whether they will meet the needs of the market decades from now, or whether they can actually be mass-produced. So it is a great advantage to be able to immediately discuss things with the marketing and manufacturing departments of the business units, and get advice from people at the leading edge of their business. Being able to conduct research and development while increasing the accuracy in this way is one of the best things about working at the Sony R&D Center.
What are your goals for the future?
I want to follow my passion and
develop something incredible
I specialize in material development, and this is a field that is essential for the development of sensors. It’s a dynamic research area that has the potential to achieve drastic performance and replace the common material to other ones. I know that our research outcomes could have a significant impact on society. Being fortunate enough to be in this position, I know that I need to approach my daily work not just from a business perspective, but by looking at society as a whole. I therefore believe that it is my mission, and the mission of the R&D Center, to contribute to the creation of value for the future, through in-depth consideration of what people need to prosper in the future, and believing in my dreams and following my passion to develop something incredible.
What is your motto for research
and development?
The goal is to become
“collaborative engineers”
Since joining Sony, I have worked with many people, not only in the R&D Center, but throughout the whole Sony Group, and I feel that having such a diverse employee base with firmly held convictions is what forms the foundation for creating value. For that reason, I aim to be a “collaborative engineer” in a hub-like role, connecting the expertise of different employees. To that end, I need to achieve solid results in my current field of research and become a unifying power among engineers. So just as I grow as a person, I would like to see this become a place that triggers chemical reactions between people.
