About Natsume Research Institute
At Natsume Research Institute, we are conducting basic research on cutting-edge pupil response analysis technology.
By analyzing the movement of the pupil and quantifying emotions (unconscious human reactions) that have not been available until now, we are able to utilize this technology as objective data in a variety of fields.
The possibilities of our pupil response analysis technology are expanding from medical care to education, living environment, crime prevention and entertainment.
What's New
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Feb 2021
1 minute slide show on pupillary reaction measurement
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Dec 2020
Business cooperative ties with NeU.
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Nov 2020
Our technology users
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Sep 2020
The official website was renewed.
The Content for Detail page.
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Aug 2020
Became a regular member of the Juntendo University Open Innovation Program GAUDI.
RESEARCH
What can we do with pupil response analysis technology?
We're doing research every day.
What is the purpose of our pupil reaction analysis technology? We continue to conduct practical research and explore the possibilities of this technology on a daily basis.
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Measurement and analysis on pupil reaction to smartphone video released. Movie below is the result of test measurement which 2 people watched smartphone video of Matsuri nine.. The position of the gaze is displayed on the video as a mosaic. A red mosaic shows that the pupils are large and are paying attention, while a […]
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In the case of video content, eye tracking can tell you where you’re looking. However,…[MORE]
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Simply by asking the subject to read the text silently, we can understand the true intentions of the subject. …[MORE]
TECHNOLOGY
The eyes are the windows to the mind.
With pupil response analysis technology.
You will see what you couldn't see.
The eyes are the windows to the mind. This is a universal perception. The response of the pupils cannot be controlled by human will. In other words, a person's true emotions are expressed in the eyes.
Pupil response analysis technology is a groundbreaking method for deriving objective emotional data that eliminates ambiguity and instability in subjects' self-reports by analyzing and quantifying pupil responses using a scientific approach. At Natsume Research Institute, our goal is to realize a society where people around the world can live in good health, safety, and peace of mind through this technology.
The response of the pupil is controlled at the same innate instinctual level
as the heart and lungs.
- ◉ Any race.
- ◉ Not able to control by oneself.
- ◉ Not able to lie.
- ◉ It is the most primitive biological response of an animal.
→ Pupils cannot lie, regardless of race, gender or age.
Source: Donald A. Norman Emotional Design
The advantages of Natsume Research Institute's pupil reaction analysis technology
It was proven by Eckhard Hess in 1965 that the pupil enlarges in response to interest. However, until recently, there was no way to accurately and rapidly measure and analyze the changes in pupil size.
This has been made possible by advances in pupil diameter measurement technology using high-resolution camera photography and computer analysis technology. Combining this with proprietary technology developed by Natsume Research Institute, we are providing more accurate and versatile pupil response analysis technology.
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The system eliminates dark and light responses and the effects of biological reactions such as pulse and respiration, and can extract only the responses based on interest.
(Patent No. 6651536) -
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It has the criteria necessary to judge the results of pupil diameter change and can objectively assess the level of interest and concern.
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As it is not necessary to fix the subject's head and body in the same way as watching TV, the burden on the subject is light and the measurement can be performed in a state similar to everyday life.
SERVICE
Our pupil reaction analysis technology
can be applied to all fields.
Our pupil reaction analysis technology can contribute to improving effectiveness and efficiency in all fields.

[Security]
- · Anti-terrorism
- · Automatic driving assistance
- · Support for crime prevention activities
- · Eradication of false accusations
[Labor and industry]
- · Marketing (sensitivity survey)
- · Stress check
- · Reduce occupational accidents
[Medical]
- · Telemedicine
- · Lying patients are removed.
- · Objective Diagnostic Indicators for Psychiatric Disorders
[Living Environment]
- · Optimization of traffic signs, etc.
- · Robots and other hospitality-oriented AI
[Training]
- · Sports
- · Education
- · Aptitude check
COMPANY
MISSION
PUPILS FOR PEOPLE
New value for your business with pupil response analysis technology
VALUE
Natsume Research Institute creates new value in all kinds of businesses, from medical care to education, living environment, crime prevention, and entertainment, by quantifying changes in human emotions through pupil response analysis technology.
Use our pupil response analysis technology for your business.
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Representative Director
Tadashi Usukura
After graduating from Kokugakuin University in 1990, he worked in sales and marketing for a foreign consumer goods company. He found the company in 2005 and started in the free paper business and expanded into the PPC and smartphone application business. and after selling his company in 2014, he became the representative director of Natsume Research Institute in 2016.
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Executive producer
Koichi Kikuchi
While studying at the University of Electro-Communications, he studied expression at Tokyo Visual Arts Academy. After graduating from the Academy in 1981, he studied under Hikoya Magoshi, a film director, and in 1984 started his own film production company. In 2006, he established Natsume Research Institute, and in 2016, current representative director Usukura and he reorganized the company into new Natsume Research Institute.
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Director of Pupilyzer development
Administration directorAtsushi Kuroki
Graduated from Waseda University in 1986 with a master's degree in science and engineering. In the same year, he joined Mitsui Bank, where he was in charge of developing and introducing systems for overseas branches. In 2005, he launched a free newspaper business with Usukura and expanded it to include PPC and smartphone application businesses, etc. He has been in his current position since 2016.
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Director of Finance and Legal Affairs
Hiroaki Tanaka
He received his master's degree from Waseda University Graduate School of Law (Civil Law) in 1994. After practicing as a lawyer, he led a number of business investment projects at a domestic and foreign investment bank for about 10 years. Currently, he joined the firm in 2016 while practicing support for new businesses and venture companies by integrating his knowledge of finance, business and legal affairs. He and Usukura have been friends since their college days.
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Director of planning and analysis
Hachiro Yuge
Graduated from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University in 1992. In the same year, he joined Fuji Research Institute (now Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc.), where he was in charge of consulting services for public institutions. After that, he was engaged in marketing and management planning at a foreign consumer goods manufacturer and an advertising agency. He has been in his current position since 2016. He is a colleague of Usukura from his days at a foreign consumer goods manufacturer.
Starting poijnt of our business
In 1998, Kikuchi won the educational content-related project of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. As part of the project, in the course of examining objective evaluation methods for such content, he knew about the characteristics of pupils and began study on pupil response analysis technology.
He has always been interested in the technology to quantify people's reactions because He has always worked in directing video production. Would the people watching the film really be interested in it, enjoy it, or understand it? There was a lot of that uncertainty.
In 2006, he established Natsume Research Institute and concentrated on the technology.
Usukura met Kikuchi in 2011。An executive at an IT company Usukura did business with invited him to see a demonstration of an interesting technology that was being researched for a lie detector that analyzed the pupil and facial expressions. Usukura had read a book that the pupils cannot be trained and the pupils cannot lie, so he was able to honestly sense the potential of the technology. Usukura has started to support sales activities of Natsume Research Institute since 2015 and in 2016, reorganized the company into new Natsume Research Institute.
[Company Profile]
- Company name
- Natsume Research Institute, Co., Ltd.
- Representative
- Tadashi Usukura
- Address
- 6-13 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044
- Phone number
- 03-3542-3123
- FAX
- 03-3542-9789
- Capital Stock
- 65,950,000 (as of August, 2017)
- Founded
- July 16, 2013
- Business Description
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- · Basic research on pupil response
- · Development of measurement methods, analysis logic and (optimization) solutions to utilize information (data) obtained from pupil responses in various fields.
- · Planning and implementation of experiments for practical use, collection, analysis and evaluation of information, and consulting on equipment and software development
- · Research and consulting using proprietary technology
[Patent information]
- Title of the patentPatent No.
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- 1Device for judging a viewer's emotional response to a visual scenePatent No.5445981
- 2Measurement of Visible EffectivenessPatent No.6424357
PCT/JP2014/077559
WO2015/056742
US-2016/0232561A1
EP3058873A1 - 3A device for judging a viewer's emotions and a program for judging a viewer's emotions Patent No.6651536
PCT/JP2016/078917 - 4Emotional Estimation Device and Emotional Estimation Method 2017-505336
PCT/JP2016/057041 - 5A device and program for determining the amount of brain activity by enlarging the pupil diameter Patent No.6721818
- 6Diagnostic equipment for brain diseasesPatent No.2018-235105