Biomedical engineering at the forefront in Japan

Abstract

This paper introduces recent Japanese contributions to biomedical engineering (BME) technology. As in the United States, Japanese research has expanded to include neural and tissue engineering, although electrical and mechanical engineering applications remain important. In the last few years, Japanese biomedical engineering has been at the forefront in cardiovascular research, robotics (including surgical, rehabilitation, and entertainment robots), and rehabilitation engineering. In answer to Japan's aging society, the Ministry of Industry and Technology has focused on an experimental house called the Welfare Techno-House to develop assistive devices which include ubiquitous wearable orthoprostheses.