The polishing utilizing MCF as a processing fluid (MCF polishing), in which abrasive grains are dispersed in the magnetic compound fluid (MCF), can polish like a mirror surface in a short time. If the material removal depth distribution can be predicted by any arithmetic method of the polishing process under the application of magnetic and electric fields, the optimal movement of the polishing tool can be predicted beforehand for convenience. In this study, our proposing modified Preston's equation was used to predict the removal depth distribution polished by a permanent magnet tool. The theoretical equation of the processing pressure based on the magnetic field was used to evaluate the magnetic force of the MCF. On the other hand, the theoretical equation based on the Gauss's law was also used for the processing pressure based on the electric field. The calculated profile curves were compared with the experimental results so that we demonstrated the validity of the modified Preston's equation and the equations of the processing pressure based on magnetic and electric fields.

The dimensions of machine tools are often larger than necessary for production needs. By miniaturizing these machines, companies can reduce energy consumption and costs by scaling down manufacturing lines. Smaller machines are also easier to transport and install, enabling more flexible manufacturing setups. However, smaller machine tools have lower rigidity, which can cause significant deformation during machining and lead to greater machining errors compared to larger tools. This study focuses on achieving high-precision machining by compensating for tool displacement caused by machine deformation. The proposed method estimates actual cutting amount by measuring tool displacement in real-time using image processing. Additionally, the study introduces a method for compensating machining errors during multi-process machining by tracking tool tip displacement with image processing. Cutting tests confirmed that the method accurately estimates the actual cutting amount using both fixed cameras and robotic systems that maintain the tool-camera position. Furthermore, results comparing uncorrected and compensation-controlled machining demonstrate the method's effectiveness for achieving highly accurate machining.

This paper presents a method for measuring minor flank wear width using image processing with a camera mounted on an NC lathe. The flank wear width is a key determinant of tool life, making its prediction an important area of research. Additionally, with the increasing adoption of multitasking machines and the declining workforce in the manufacturing industry, it is crucial to develop a machining optimization system that can automatically set cutting conditions and determine tool life. Therefore, we developed a system for shooting minor flank face mounted on an NC lathe. And, using this system, we studied a method to accurately measure the minor flank wear width when turning S45C with a CVD coated carbide tool using image processing technology. As a result, it was found that wear areas can be effectively detected by illumination the tool from two different directions. Furthermore, applying of luminance correction enhances the contrast between worn and unworn areas, facilitating easier detection. By filling holes in the processed image and subtracting the cutting edge from the extracted gap between the cutting edge and the worn area, we successfully measured minor flank wear width from the cutting edge. Examination of the applicability of the minor flank wear width measurement revealed that images equivalent to those obtained by the conventional method could be acquired, and the minor flank wear width could be measured with an error of about 10 μm. These results demonstrate the high adaptability and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Surface texture is one of the most important factors that dominate the tribological properties of the surface. The current texturing technique has productivity issues that hinder its industrial application. Texturing by ultrasonic vibration cutting has a high productivity capacity and can accelerate industrial applications. However, the textured shape has a convex shape that limits the degree of freedom in shape because the vibration trajectory of the tool is transferred to the surface. This study therefore generates a surface having stratified functional properties while maintaining the high productivity of ultrasonic vibration cutting by transferring a portion of the vibration trajectory to the workpiece surface. For industrial applications, a micro-infeed device that can be mounted on a general-purpose lathe was developed and used. As a result, by taking into account the deformation of the cutting device, it was possible to texture the dimple depth as designed with an accuracy of 0.2 μm. Moreover, the tribological properties of the machined surface were measured by the ball-on-disk tribotest, which confirmed the effectiveness in collecting wear debris in the textured surface.

This paper presented a fabrication of hand rehabilitation device driven by pneumatic actuators. In Japan, the aging population has caused an increase in patients with physical paralysis due to brain diseases or injuries. Proper rehabilitation is especially important for hands and fingers that are paralyzed. There have been various studies on devices for helping paralyzed hands, but many have issues with safety and wearability. We developed a new hand rehabilitation device using a rubber bellows actuator that driven by pneumatic. This structure is easy on the joints and doesn't strain them. The device is also made so it can separate between the fingertip and the palm, making it easier to use. It was confirmed that the prototype device could adjust the joint range of motion and force in response to changes in the supply pressure. And that it met the requirements for rehabilitation. It was also confirmed that the speed of finger movement could be adjusted by controlling the flow resistance. This prototype device can change the range of motion, strength, and movement speed needed for each rehabilitation stage.

In recent years, the use of virtual slide scanners to store pathology samples as Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) has become widespread. These scanners require Z-stack images for each thick sample, but these images are very large, leading to data storage challenges. This study proposes a novel method to generate all-in-focus images from Z-stack images, significantly reducing data storage needs while maintaining image quality. Unlike previous methods that required offline parameter tuning for consistency evaluation, the proposed method utilizes the Point Spread Function (PSF) obtained from Z-stack images, eliminating the need for such tuning. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method produces higher quality images compared to previous methods, while maintaining low processing costs.

Robots have been used widely in society recently. Many robots are designed for expanding demands. Such demands are various and each of them contains subtle differences. However, designing robots takes a long time and high costs in general. Therefore, a rapid and easy robot design method is needed. Robot designing method that design robot with a three-dimensional diamond crystal-shaped structure suitable for the 3D printer is proposed previously and it makes robot designing easier because it simplifies the robot designing problem as an optimization problem of defining three-dimensional positions and attitudes of components. Thus, an automatic robot designing system by using this method is proposed in this paper. Components are deployed inside the robot appearance model based on the optimization method in the proposed automatic robot designing system. The components are defined and deployed one by one to suppress an increase of dimension of the optimization problem. It is achieved by considering characteristics of robot designing. The result of component deployment and several cases indicating adaptive optimization ability is shown.