For developing power assist devices, we need to understand gait change and kinematics due to load during stair ascending. The purpose of this research is to investigate gait change and inertial properties depend on mass loading during stair ascending. On this study, we measured ten able-bodied subjects ascending the stairs. There were three load conditions of no load, 5 kg and 15 kg, and three gait speed conditions of 70, 100 and 130 steps/min. Then, the differences in the measured motions toward the corresponding inertia-only motions were quantitatively evaluated using a sagittal plane whole-body model with 11 links with MP joint. We analyzed inertia movement measure by the whole-body model inconsideration of MP joint. As a result, there was no difference in inertial movement measure at the initial and the middle stage of the swing phase depend on the presence or absence of mass load. However, at the final stage of swing phase, the peak shifted to the later part. Regardless of the presence or absence of mass load, the transitions of each joint angle shows the same tendency, that is, there has little change on gait in swing phase.

Humans have bi-articular muscles acting on two joints, and bi-articular muscles play a very important role in human action. In a robot having a drive system imitating a bi-articular muscles, DOF for the control is lower than the DOF for the mechanism. Therefore, since that system depends on some kind of external force, it is necessary to know the characteristics for design the control. This paper reports the mechanical characteristics of bi-articular muscle manipulator using hydraulic pressure and link mechanism.

Utilization of myoelectric hand is important for social reintegration of person with disabilities on upper limb. However, trainings of installation for myoelectric hand are needed to become more efficient, because the trainings are provided in limited number of the medical institutions and trials in these facilities. As one of solution, this research proposes a visual feedback system of grasp force information for subject person of the training. This report discusses about the basic interface and visualizing method of the proposed system by using pressure sensors and microcomputer. And the experimental plan of the hand shape tracking test by using Leap Motion is also examined.

In this study, the evaluation on the possibility of laser joining of metal and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRTP) was discussed from the viewpoint of input heat quantity and thermal conduction. The laser used in this experiment was a laser diode set to the power of 90W. Firstly, temperature characteristics of an aluminum plate with respect to heat quantity input by laser diode were observed. Secondly, temperature analysis by the finite element method was performed. From the results obtained in these two investigations, it is assumed that the input heat quantity needed for laser joining of metal and CFRTP is more than 149J. In future tests, laser joining based on the above result will be attempted.

Activities of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have attracted attention in various fields in recent years. Especially, transportation of luggage using multi-rotor helicopter has already been the phase of verification test. However, when carrying out such transportation, the weight of the package that can be carried is limited due to the payload limitation of UAVs. Cooperative transport system using kinematics used in cable driven robot (Cable-Driven Parallel Robot: CDPR) has been proposed but it is not considered how to arrange the UAV.In this paper, using dynamics based on CDPR, cooperative transport system considering the UAV layout will be described.However, depending on the direction of the cables to which the UAV and loads are joined,the yaw angle of the package can not be controlled. In this paper, we describe the simulation considering the control of the yaw angle and its result.

Automobiles are indispensable thing for our daily lives, and it is important to guarantee its safety use. As one of disturbances of safe driving, the backlight of sun light makes glare. In recent researches, it was cleared the relations between the glare and traffic accidents. In this research, the detection and alert system of glare to notify the driver in early stage has been developed. In this report, image processing algorithm for judging the occurrence factor of glare from in the forward direction of driving environment by using images acquired by web camera. And, prediction method for the influence of glare on a driver is also discussed based on positional relationship between driver’s gaze information estimated from its head position and occurrence factor of glare.

In order to elucidate the compression ignition mechanism, it is important to elucidate the reaction mechanism of small heat release called cold flame due to low temperature oxidation reaction. In this research, in order to improve the measurement accuracy of heat release by cold flame, analysis of rotational speed fluctuation of the engine in the combustion process is performed using a pressure sensor and a rotary encoder. We also study the effect of rotational speed fluctuation on thermal analysis of engines.

It is well known that the bleeding of compressed air is an effective method to avoid an unstable state such as surging in a compressor. Bleed holes have been provided at the compressor exit of a turbojet engine and experiments have been carried out to investigate engine performance changes as a result of bleeding. Also, using the performance analysis tool of gas turbine (GTPAT), a prediction of engine performance has been made based on the component matching theory. The comparison of analytical results with experiment data has been conducted. This paper also presents analytical results regarding how operating points and operating lines move away from the surge line on the compressor performance characteristic diagram due to the compressed air bleeding.

This study is related to water injection on a micro gas turbine engine. Water injection tests have been carried out for a CapstoneC30 micro gas turbine. The injection ratio has been varied within the range of 1.00% to 4.27%. The evaporation rate of liquid droplets is calculated based upon mass transfer between liquid droplet and surrounding air flow. Then, experimental data of water injection have been analyzed. Water injection tends to cause the decrease of combustion efficiency because water is unburnable fluid. The decrease of combustion efficiency leads to the reduction of power output. Therefore, it can be considered that ethanol is valid fluid because of its combustibility. In this paper, experimental data have been analyzed with ethanol physical property as well as those of water. The variations of important parameters such as air temperature, droplet temperature, droplet diameter, and amount of evaporation along flow path have been analyzed and the obtained results have been compared for both cases of water and ethanol.

This paper describes a research on a jet noise reduction device, a chevron nozzle. Chevron nozzles reduce the jet noise by an effect of promoting the mixing of high velocity jet and external flow. However, they tend to cause a thrust loss at the same time. In this research, experiments have been conducted using a small turbojet engine to evaluate the effect of chevron nozzles on the engine performance from both aspects of jet noise and thrust. In the previous research, it was pointed out that the test environment is not suitable for capturing the effect of chevron nozzles. In this research, the test environment has been changed from indoor to outdoor in response to the point. A test has been performed using TYPEIand TYPEII chevron nozzles, and the test results of indoor and outdoor for engine performance and jet noise have been compared. The results of comparison have been reported in the present paper.