On May 2nd, 2025, we held the Ultrasonic AsPIRE Conference at the University of Tsukuba—a small, focused workshop with 14 participants dedicated to the exploration of ultrasonic manipulation and wave-based interfaces.
Although modest in scale, the event was intentionally scheduled to align with other international conferences, including CHI 2025 in Yokohama, which made it convenient for one international participant from CHI to stop by. The conference also benefited from the presence of Dr. Iñigo Ezcurdia and Dr. Daniel Smalley, who were both staying in Tsukuba during this period for extended research visits in Tsukuba University.
The program featured concentrated sessions on ultrasound, including acoustic levitation, ultrasonic tactile displays, wave-based droplet manipulation, and volumetric interfaces. We had an engaging lineup of presentations from both senior and early-career researchers, which fostered active exchange and mentorship across career stages.
In addition to the talks and demos, participants joined a guided visit to our laboratory facilities at the University of Tsukuba, where they had the opportunity to see our experimental setups and ongoing projects firsthand. The lab visit sparked further discussion on system design, collaboration opportunities, and future directions.
Despite its small size, the conference fully embodied the mission of the JST AsPIRE initiative: to promote meaningful, interdisciplinary, and international collaboration in developing novel acoustic actuation systems and physical computing platforms.
We sincerely thank all participants for their enthusiasm and contributions. We look forward to building on this momentum in future workshops and collaborations.
Dr. Tatsuki Fushimi 