The digital transformation is one of the main strategies in the focus of industry and society today. Within the concept of Industry 4.0 companies are trying to redesign their design-, production- and logistic- processes to meat the challenges of rapidly changing requirements and a growing complexity of products as well as services associated with these products. Powerful cloud-platforms enable the implementation of the internet of things (IOT) and a lot of companies provide so called IOT-hubs. These IOT-hubs are capable to integrate the data of billions of physical devices. These so called digital twins collect sensor data of the physical devices and in some cases a bidirectional communication is also possible.

The processing and analyzing of big data is a key feature of most of the IOT-solutions and is a prerequisite for predictive maintenance and other Industry 4.0 related concepts. But the aspect of visualization commonly is not part of these concepts. This paper shows an approach for a new immersive User Interface based on Mixed Reality that enables users to interact with real devices.

To implement this UI a new engineering gateway is established, which supports the creation of visualization models based on CAD models and closes the gap between engineering IT-systems like CAD- or PLM-systems and the IOT-hub. This concept will be able to address some use cases in the fields of production, education or technical service. Following the conversion of CAD files the architecture of the engineering gateway is described and the concept is presented based on an example, which demonstrates the process of technical inspections of real products as a closed loop.

Companies in the single and small-batch business with a high variety in the model range are under rapidly increasing cost pressure, not at least due to the increasing globalization. A proven concept to deal with this challenge is considered to be the digitalization of production processes as well as the assembly planning. One way to achieve this digitalization can be the implementation of worker information systems and the use of 3D assembly instructions in production.

To avoid new additional efforts and thus new costs, it’s a reasonable approach to use the 3D data of R&D (Research and Development department) for this purpose. With regard to the increasing cost pressure, it must be taken into account that especially in the early phases of the product development process (PDP) the possibilities of influencing costs are highest and thus there is a valid reason for a function-oriented view of the product with the objective of a functional cost calculation. This claim is directly opposed to a direct use of R&Ds 3D CAD models in the field of production.

Based on a detailed literature research it is examined whether the automation of the assembly planning itself is possible and reasonable on the basis of existing 3D CAD models and whether an automatic creation of the assembly instructions could be a possible solution. To solve this question a concept and a data model are presented, which has the objective to carry out an automated generation of 3D assembly instructions on the basis of the existing and functionally structured 3D CAD models.

This paper provides a concept of possible optimization of maintenance process with help of HoloLens (AR device) and smart tool (like screwdriver with programming function) in context of Industry 4.0. The relevant data granted / updated during the maintenance process will be dynamically synchronized to the PLM system, As the result, a solution including frontend / backend and AR client for maintenance module in scenario “repair station” was built, which is independent of scenario and CAD model and can be easily extended. An example scenario based on the concept is demonstrated at the end.

Before the Industrial Revolution, we used to work for ourselves. We enjoyed the process of making our dreams come true. It was a challenge, and engineering was a challenge. Challenge is the core and mainspring of all human activities. Even if we failed, we repeated the trials and these challenges provided us the greatest satisfaction we can secure as humans. Engineering these days was nothing other than Exploration. We utilized all available resources to get to the land of dream. We could satisfy our needs even if our next step is small. We felt we were growing, getting closer to our dreams. But we have been deprived of these enjoyment or basic needs as humans by the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, technologies have progressed remarkably, but many issues are emerging in the Industrial Society as it gets close to its ceiling, such as decreasing workforce. This is not only due to the decreasing childbirth. Even in the developing countries, where population is growing so much. But due to too much sophisticated technology literacy, they cannot work now. It takes tremendous time for them to learn. Therefore, As it is time now to consider and develop the Society in the next generation, we need to overcome these difficulties. It is pointed out in this paper that if we look back and resume working for ourselves, then we can solve many emerging problems now. If we focus our attention to our mental needs, we can revive Low Techs and let them work to make our life more enjoyable.

Research fields involving “engineering” and “education” contain a specialized area called “engineering education” wherein “engineering technology” and “educational technology” are taught using technological advancements. Due to the utilization of ICT in education, “educational technology” is steadily gaining importance. In this study, from the point of view of “educational technology,” we examined research areas for machinery and mechanical systems that can be utilized for education, and proposed a new research field called “Educational Mechanical Engineering.” In addition, we examined the targeted content for this proposed research field.

In Japan's super-aging society, the number of people requiring nursing care is increasing. In the nursing care field, gait analysis and training involve subjective observation and guidance by physical therapists, which requires specialized knowledge and experience. Therefore, there is a need for more effective gait analysis and training that does not require a physical therapist. Many methods have been proposed at the research level to measure information during gait and feed it to the trainer in real-time, but there are issues in the target value setting method. Considering the remarkable progress in machine learning technology in recent years, several studies have been conducted on gait analysis and learning using feature extraction by machine learning. This paper aims to discuss the challenges in conventional gait analysis and training methods and the effectiveness of machine learning techniques. We first review previous studies on gait analysis and training and feedback learning methods in nursing care settings and discusses their challenges. We also introduce previous studies on gait analysis using machine learning. We then explain our proposed method of setting target values using machine learning that considers individual differences and gait feedback training system and discuss its effectiveness when the training target is stumbling.

A flywheel-less low temperature differential Stirling engine (LTDSE) was designed based on dynamic analysis conducted using spreadsheet programs. A prototype of the flywheel-less LTDSE was demonstrated under non-load operation of less than 30 s. Inertia moment of a flywheel did not affected, therefore the demonstrations suggested that LTDSE of which the phase angle and the distributions of balance weight are designed suitably can run without flywheel. The LTDSE was developed as a combination of two gamma-configuration LTDSEs. The phase angle between the two LTDSEs was 90°. Bellows were used instead of power pistons. In each LTDSE, the phase angle between the bellows and the displacer was 120°. Balance weights were installed in the link mechanism. The working fluid was atmospheric air. The stop after non-load operation was analyzed by the dynamic analysis program. No conventional Stirling engine analyses can explain quantitatively the reason of the stops after non-load operation. In the dynamic analysis, when the mean pressure of the working fluid in one of the LTDSEs decreased by 0.03 kPa, the flywheel-less LTDSE could not operate. During the unstable operation of the prototype, the mean pressure of the working fluid in one of the LTDSEs decreased before the prototype stopped. Although friction may have affected the demonstration of the non-load operation, the dynamic analysis suggested that tribology is not a solution. A bellows is modelled as the inner volume is affected by not only the phase but also the difference between buffer pressure and working fluid pressure.

It is necessary to improve autonomous driving technology not only from the viewpoint of reducing automobile accidents, but also from the viewpoint of reducing driver work load and integrating the environment. In addition to specialized knowledge in mechanical, electrical, and information systems, knowledge and experience in autonomous driving AI are required to train engineers involved in automobile development. This paper develops autonomous driving AI educational teaching materials using easy and inexpensive component equipment such as hobby vehicles so that autonomous driving AI can be learned and practiced, and describes educational examples using this teaching material.

Mechanical design and drafting are fundamental subjects related to mechanical engineering. In this subject, students are required to acquire various knowledge and skills, and the progress of each student is different. Therefore, it is important to provide guidance from teachers suitable for each individual. In order to improve instruction suitable for individuals, it is effective to accumulate examples of personalized instruction as videos and share them among teachers. However, in mechanical design and drafting, it is difficult to review because the content of instruction is diverse and the videos are enormous. The system proposed in this paper for this task reduces the input burden during personalized instruction and speeds up the reference of student information by attaching RFID labels to learning outcomes. Furthermore, it is possible to search for personalized instruction videos from personalized instruction information. Therefore, the teacher can review their instruction content from the video. This paper describes the outline of the developed system and the effect of applying this system to the class.

In recent years, the percentage of workers feeling high anxiety and stress at work has increased rapidly. In addition, virtual display terminal (VDT) works are increasing in the work environment due to the increase in the remote workforce. Therefore, developing a system that can reduce stress during VDT work can be beneficial. In a previous study, forest videos were shown to have stress-reducing effects. Therefore, this study proposes a system that reduces stress by presenting forest video to the peripheral vision of the target person during VDT work.

The stress reduction effect of the proposed system was verified experimentally. Participants in the experiment performed a continuous calculation task using a notebook PC on a desk, and the display was placed at a location where the video could be presented in peripheral vision. A gray image was presented in the control condition and compared with the condition in which forest images were presented. Heart rate variability and sweating were used as objective indices and POMS2 as a subjective index. The average of the values during rest and second half of task was calculated within each condition, and the value during second half of task minus the value during rest was calculated. Then, a test of the difference of the mean values between the conditions was performed for each evaluation index.

The analysis showed that the effect of stress reduction was not statistically confirmed when forest images were presented in both subjective and objective indices. However, correlation analysis of individual differences confirmed that the participants who answered questions “Do you like forest?” and “Were you aware of the sunlight through the trees in the video?” with higher scores tended to have more stress reduction effects. There were three possible reasons for the lack of stress reduction effect: the absence of the natural environmental sound, effect of the presentation method, and effect of the video presentation during the work.

In engineering education, it is important to improve students’ ability to think and make decisions when solving engineering problems. The measurement and observation of fluid phenomena are useful for this task. However, these activities are difficult to conduct in an educational setting because large equipment is often required. To overcome this problem, we propose and implement a portable fluid mechanics laboratory that consists of inexpensive, safe, and portable visualization and measurement equipment. Many of the components are designed using 3D CAD and can be fabricated using a 3D printer, reducing cost. The fabrication of the portable laboratory and fluid experiments using the laboratory can also be incorporated into project-based learning. Feedback from students suggests that the design and fabrication of the laboratory and the experiments improved their basic engineering skills and skills related to fluid mechanics.

In this study, the device to learn the mechanism of the geothermal power generation was developed, and the class practice was carried out using the device to verify its educational effect and to understand the present state and the effective utilization of renewable energy for junior high school students. The class practice was carried out as follows: (1) the consciousness investigation on energy, (2) the confirmation of the present state of renewable energy in the world, (3) difference in cost among wind power generation, photovoltaic power generation and geothermal power generation in Germany and China, (4) the confirmation of the present state of renewable energy in Japan, (5) the experiential learning activity to learn the mechanism of the geothermal power generation, and (6) the proposal of future energy policy in Japan. As a result of the class practice, the students understood the mechanism of the geothermal power generation through the experiment using the developed device. In addition, they also understood on the energy situation in Japan. Then their opinions that they were expecting for the development of the geothermal power generation with the high potential as the power generation resource in Japan were obtained.

Many kinds of successes of small hydro-power generations in the open channel have been already reported. However, surface-tidal power generations used by a same method have not progress as an actual system enough. This means there are not only the potential gaps caused by the engineering difficulty and/or products cost but also the correct business plans to use these systems. In this paper, we consider the new values of the surface-tidal power generation systems under Isolated Island Engineering.

Often, elementary school teachers who teach arts and crafts do not have an education in arts. Therefore, no common evaluation standard exists for arts and crafts classes, and teachers assign grades based on their own standards. These standards are often based on their hobbies and interests, and therefore, their students may not receive a fair evaluation. Owing to this, elementary school students tend to dislike arts and crafts. In this study, we focused on inductive logic programming (ILP) and measured the gaze of art education experts, children, and elementary school teachers while they were viewing children's drawings. ILP helps construct generalized rules based on specific observed cases. Further, ILP was used to analyze the gaze behavior patterns of the participants. Based on the experimental results obtained, ILP was applied using the "background of gaze point," "gazing time," "location of gazing points," and "moving distance of gazing points". We obtained gazing behavior patterns that applied to the experts but not to the children, along with those that could be applied to the experts but not to the elementary school teachers. Thus, we could clarify the differences in gazing behavior patterns between experts and elementary school teachers in arts and crafts education.

Technical education has the property of including human knowledge, body, and skills. In this article, the author focused on comprehensive learning on the theme of “technology, industry, manufacturing”. Learning technical education as general education includes various themes related to human life. And the perceptions and skills of children and students evolve from a sense of life and play to advanced knowledge and skills. This paper focuses on the commonalities between technical education and integrated learning, and attempts to trace the practical history of integrated learning in Japan from the perspective of technical education.