Robot arms are equipped with several joints and it is possible to operate along any given trajectories. This flexibility is essential advantages and valuable studies are conducted for reference trajectory generation to effectively control robot arms. In this study, we propose a reference trajectory generation method based on a point-to-point iterative learning control scheme. The method utilizes a linearized robot arm model obtained by applying the conventional resolved-acceleration control. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through numerical example of a DD robot arm.

Rescue robots at disaster sites are highly anticipated because they can operate in dangerous areas that are inaccessible to humans. At disaster sites, it is required to find victims as soon as possible due to the risk of secondary disasters. For that reason, rescue robots are required to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. In this study, we focused on a leg-wheel-type robot that has the advantages of both the high traveling performance like a leg-type robot and the high traveling speed like a wheel-type robot. We developed a leg-wheeled robot with passive wheels on its legs and a roller-skate-like shape to improve its traveling efficiency. Using that robot, we studied walking patterns using different passive wheels depending on the surface shape of the leg-wheeled robot with passive wheels and proposed two methods of moving: "leg-type walking" and "wheel-type walking," in which the robot moves on each surface while controlling the passive wheels with leg movements.

In this paper investigates a control method for transitioning the formation shape in the leader-follower method, shape transition, as a new feature to bring flexibility to mobile robot formation control. First, we propose a basic shape transition method under formation control by the leader-follower method, and then demonstrate the effectiveness of the shape transition method proposed in this paper through control experiments using the Pioneer, a mobile robot with multiple sonar sensors.

In this paper, we designed an articulated robot finger with a round-belt twist mechanism combining a wire drive and a Twisted round-belt Actuator (TbA). This robot finger has the following two main features. First, we designed new mechanism，Variable-pitch Screw Module (VSM) to apply stretch to the round belt while adding twists to them at the same time. Second, we replaced acceleration sensors with encoders to stabilize output signals of joint angles. We explain the mechanism of this robot finger which are mentioned above. We show the results of experiments of fingertip force measurement. Finally, we show the results of a force-following control experiment for stepwise target values.

The declining working population due to the aging of society has prompted the introduction of quadruped robots. However, it is difficult for quadruped robots to coordinate and control their motors. Therefore, machine learning, in which the robot learns movements autonomously, is attracting attention. In addition, quadrupeds have different movements when they walk and run. In this study, we investigated whether the robot acquires different movements depending on the target speed using deep reinforcement learning. As a result, the robot acquired walking motions such as "pace" and "gallop" as in animals.

Recently, many researchers have investigated robot automation for rigid objects. However, typical flexible objects, including string-like objects such as cables and tubes, are widely used as industrial media for signal transmission and fluid transport. In addition, wires and ropes are used for operations such as fixing and packaging. When the target object is a rigid body, only its position and orientation change in response to manipulation. However, with flexible objects, the shape itself is deformed by manipulation, which poses a problem in modeling methods. Therefore, in this study, a multi-link model based on rigid body dynamics is employed to represent dynamic shape change as an object. The object is divided into an arbitrary number of parts and approximated as a set of rigid body elements. Each element is connected by springs and dampers acting in axial and rotational directions to represent physical properties. For modeling and simulation, the numerical analysis software MATLAB is used. The accuracy of the model is evaluated by comparing the model with objects manipulated on the surface by the robot arm. Furthermore, contact with a cylindrical obstacle is modeled, an experiment is conducted to bring the object into contact with the obstacle, its movement is simulated, and the reproduction accuracy is evaluated by comparing the experimental and simulated values.

This paper deals with output-feedback tracking control of linear time-invariant systems with unknown parameters. Controller parameters are updated in real time based on the estimation of unknown parameters using multiple observers.

- This paper describes position and orientation control of a mobile robot using a sphere camera. While a sphere camera has a wider field of view than a normal camera, the field of view is distorted. Therefore, image recognition is performed by compensating for this distortion. The control of a mobile robot using this sphere camera enables better localization estimation, distance recognition, and object recognition than with a normal camera. In this paper, we propose a position estimation method using markers with color invariants that are robust to illumination. We use a hybrid marker system that employs a circle marker and an AR marker. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by conducting experiments on position control of a two-wheel mobile robot using the sphere camera and marker recognition.

A leader-follower robot that maintains the safety of operator by remote control is effective for in extreme environments. The follower robot needs to respond to the motion of the operator, but it is also necessary to estimate the operation intention in order to maintain safety. In this research, during operation under several situations, the current operation intention is estimated from sensory input and the history of operation intention. In addition, the operation target value is determined by the operation intention for the controlling of the follower robot’s motion and some sensors’ values. That the operation target values can be calculated is verified by simulated experiments.

The evacuation route for residents in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake is formulated by an evacuation plan in advance. However, it is difficult to evacuate smoothly only by the evacuation plan in advance due to traffic obstacles due to fires and collapses on the evacuation route and traffic congestion due to the concentration of evacuees. Therefore, the ultimate goal is to develop an evacuation guidance support robot that searches for evacuation routes with SLAM in the event of a disaster, observes the damage situation and evacuation situation, and formulates an appropriate evacuation route according to the situation compared to the previous map．In order for the evacuation guidance support robot to respond to the harsh situation at the time of a disaster, it is necessary to integrate various sensor information such as LiDAR, camera images, and ultrasonic waves to observe the situation, and we will consider how to utilize each sensor. In this study, we search based on the evacuation map measured before the disaster, scan the evacuation map using 2D-LiDAR, and compare both maps to observe obstacles on the evacuation route. Consider how to update the map while calculating new evacuation routes with SLAM．

The evacuation route for residents in the event of earthquakes and other disasters is established based on advanced evacuation plans. However, it is difficult to evacuate smoothly with only a preliminary evacuation plan due to traffic obstructions caused by fires and collapsed buildings along the evacuation route, and traffic congestion caused by the concentration of evacuees. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this project is to develop an evacuation guidance support robot that can search for evacuation routes in the event of a disaster, observe the damage and evacuation situation, and formulate appropriate evacuation routes according to the situation. To cope with severe conditions during a disaster, it is necessary to integrate various sensor information such as LIDAR, camera images, and ultrasonic waves to observe the situation. In this study, we investigate a method of measuring evacuation routes using 3D-LiDAR. Using Livox Mid-40 LiDAR to construct a 3D map without IMU and then convert it into a 2D map for navigation. The amount of 3D point cloud data scanned by LiDAR is so large that it is not suitable for creating an evacuation route map as it is. Therefore, we study a method to create an appropriate evacuation route map from the scanned data by using the Octomap data format.

We are developing “Active Manual” that provides appropriate quality and quantity of information through optimum processes to drivers. To realize “Active Manual” ITS Skilled Level of driver assistance system and autonomous driving system is defined and predicted. We are considering the method to use AI (Deep Learning) technology for this prediction. For the prediction, driving data from a driving simulator is used. The driving data is obtained from level 3 autonomous driving system that will be scenes of daily driving. Several neural network models are created to try the prediction, and the best prediction accuracy shows 83.3%.

The kinesthetic illusion phenomenon is attracting attention as one of the future rehabilitation techniques. The kinesthetic illusion is the illusion in which the proprioceptive sensation associated to the tendon and muscle occurs in the extension direction, when a vibration stimulus is given to the tendon. Our final goal is to control this kinesthetic sensation of this illusion with vibration stimulation. In this study, we construct a mathematical model of the kinesthetic illusion to realize this goal. We also conducted a psychophysical experiment to verify our proposed mathematical model of kinesthetic illusion. As a result of the experiment, it is clarified that the proposed model can express the relationship between the vibration stimulus and the amount of illusion. In the future work, we will develop the system which can control kinesthetic illusion which considers the proposed kinesthetic illusion model as well as the variation of the property of muscle.

Improper usage of crutches can cause falls of crutch users or other secondary accidents. So, it is desirable to train crutch users safely at an early stage of a rehabilitation. Therefore, in this study, we developed a crutch walk training device using VR technology. During the trainings, crutch walk trainee wore a HMD, an obstacle was presented on the HMD as if it appeared in front of the trainee, and the trainee was required to stop walking and stand still. Experiments were conducted, and the results showed that (1) whether the subject wore the HMD or not did not affect to the subjects’ walking method, and (2) time to standing still decreased by repeating the trainings.

Frailty is common among the elderly, it represents a state of the sharp decline in physical function. Because it is in the middle of health and care, delaying the onset of frailty can extend healthy life expectancy and reduce the medical burden on society. Currently, in the diagnostic criteria(J-CHS) for early detection of frailty, deterioration in physical ability is judged solely by walking speed in lower limb function. This paper a gait measuring system based on the Six-Minute Walk Test(6MWT) is constructed and a novel method for more objectively evaluating the state of physical frailty is proposed. The gait measurement system only requires subjects to wear a wearable inertial acceleration sensor behind each ankle and walk with a fast speed for six minutes. PC or smartphone receives the gait data from the sensors and automatically processes it to extract walking parameters such as stride length, cadence, and walking velocity. In this evaluation system, the stride length and cadence are used to diagnose frailty instead of the current method which is only using walking speed, and the pre-frailty state is represented more detailly.

This paper describes the methods of lifting up an object using a robotic hand which has six-degree-of-freedom (DOF). The robotic hand was developed by our research group, and it has dual plates which serve as fingers, and the fingers of the hand are able to fold and changes the figure of it in order to handle various objects such as putting on an object, pinching, grasping, taking out a file from bookshelf and so on. In this paper, the mechanism of the robotic hand and the system configurations are presented, and we proposed the three methods, rolling over an object using one of the fingers and putting on the other one, pinching for small object and grasping an object that is somewhat large to lift up an object. The experiments to verify the handling methods are conducted, and the results were shown the effectiveness of proposed method.

The activity of standing up is essential in daily life. Many sit-to-stand assist devices have been developed for people with difficulties standing up, such as elderlies and people with disabilities. We have been aiming to develop a sit-to-stand assist device that can guide the user to a series of postures with less extra burden on each joint of the lower limbs. In previous research, we derived the optimal series of postures during standing up that can minimize the burden suitable for individuals. We also proposed a sit-to-stand assist device equipped with a link mechanism to move the center of the hip joint of the person sitting on the seat in an S-curve trajectory. In this report, by modeling the link mechanism using Modelica, we determined the number of teeth of engaged spur gears composing the link mechanism to have the highest reproducibility of the S-shaped curve trajectory.

The external ear canal temperature (ECT) is very similar to the eardrum temperature (ET) as the core body temperature (CBT) at room-temperature. The body temperature measurement method in daily life using thermistor could be more safety the external ear canal than eardrum. However, ECT was affected by the ambient temperature (AT). Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify the new calibration method of ECT based on the dual heat flow method for CBT monitoring, and to develop the prototype earphone system using thermistor. Vitro experiment was performed using a cylindrical black-body to investigate the accuracy of the new calibration method. Vivo experiment was performed to validate the accuracy of CBT derived from ECT measured by prototype system in the 5 AT conditions (18, 23, 28, 33, 38 ℃). In vitro, the difference between the calibrated temperature using the cylinder inner temperatures and the blackbody temperature was 0.003 ± 0.068 ℃ (mean ± 1.96 standard deviation). In vivo, the difference between the calibrated CBT using the ECTs and the ET as a reference was < 0.001 ± 0.237 ℃. These results suggest that the derived CBT using prototype earphone might be the available index for CBT monitoring in daily life.

Purpose of research: We are developing and researching a BJAS device that senses bioacoustic information of health care related to the longevity of bipedal walking. BJAS-Bone joint acoustic sensor: We are developing a bioacoustic sensor that measures and diagnoses knee joint misalignment, lower limb balance decline, and lower limb muscle strength decline. Background: The number of elderly people who have difficulty walking due to longevity is increasing rapidly. The number of people requiring support and long-term care is increasing, and wasteful spending is increasing. Countermeasures: Building a body with a long walking life, developing an early walking diagnostic device, and its preventive effect will improve walking life. This report: We have developed an acoustic signal generator to test the performance of BJAS. The transfer function of this device was investigated. Transfer function: Gas transfer system and solid transfer system are set, and the input signals are sine sweep and random noise, frequency response function (FRF) and coherence function (Coh.). Result: The transfer function of each system is determined by the magnitude of the input signal, the attenuation of the system, and the eigenvalues of the signal generator. We were able to quantify the frequency characteristic PS of this signal transmission system. Conclusion: Although some corrections were found, this signal generator had sufficient functions for use in calibrating bioacoustic sensing devices.

In this study, we proposed a rotation mechanism for controlling the posture around the axis of a flexible surgical tool for treatment deep inside the body. The mechanism includes crown gears and is driven by wire. In this method, the flexible forceps are fixed to the crown gear rotating mechanism placed at the tip of a sheath device, and the crown gear rotating mechanism is driven by the wire. The rotation mechanism can rotate infinitely. We designed and prototyped a crown gear push-up mechanism and a wire pulling mechanism, and evaluated the rotation angle of the crown gear rotation mechanism. The wire pulling mechanism was actuated by a motor and the rotation angle was measured a rotary potentiometer. As the result of the rotation angle evaluation experiment, 324° rotation was confirmed clockwise and 90° rotation was confirmed counterclockwise. In this paper, we confirmed that the rotation around the axis of a flexible surgical tool is possible within the range of ±90°.

The purpose of this work is detection of the operating state at the grasp and calculated the grasping force and shear force by detecting the force applied to the grasp during endoscope manipulation. We have previously studied the measurement and presentation of the reaction force generated on the endoscope during insertion and removal into a colonoscope training simulator using a commercially available force gauge, however, there are some problems of size and the direction of force detection. In this work, we devised a method to solve these problems by using an ultra-compact MEMS tactile sensor developed.

Palpation is a diagnosis method with touch feeling. The diagnosis by palpation is subjective, and the accuracy of diagnosis depends on the physician's experience and skill. Therefore, there is a need for a sensor system that performs palpation more objectively and automatically. In this study, we developed a palpation sensor system using a robotic finger that imitates a doctor's finger, targeting the prostate gland. In this study, a robotic finger was used to push a spherical indenter at the tip of the finger into a palpable object, and the hardness was estimated from the amount of pushing and the contact force. As a result, it was confirmed that it is possible to estimate the difference in Young's modulus of samples of different hardness, which are objects to be palpated.

In recent years, the number of deaths and morbidity from breast cancer has been on the rise, and early detection through self-palpation is required. However, many women do not perform self-palpation because they lack confidence in their ability to detect cancer. Therefore, there is a need to develop a system to detect breast cancer quantitatively without relying on their own senses. In this study, we developed a handheld breast cancer palpation sensor system that detects lumps based on the reaction force generated by scanning the breast. We designed the mechanism of the palpation sensor so that it can be grasped with a whole hand, and performed palpation experiments on a sample that simulates a breast. As a result, the characteristic reaction force fluctuation due to lumps was observed.

This paper proposes a newly designed human-following robot equipped with an omni-directional mobile cart and five distance sensors for freely moving on the floor. In order to achieve secure tracking control for human, we used an infrared temperature sensor and a geomagnetic sensor, resulting in robust autonomous running performance. First, we describe the fundamental structure of sensing algorithm with five distance sensors. Next, we explain the posture control of the autonomous robot, in which a geomagnetic sensor for real-time measurement of robot orientation is incorporated. Finally, we show novel human tracking control with an infrared temperature sensor on the basis of sensor fusion concept.

In recent years, MIDI data has been used mainly in piano education. However, MIDI data does not contain information on the player's hand movements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the movements required for more skillful performance by using a measurement system with inertial sensors that have fewer spatial constraints. In this study, tremolo, a piano playing technique in which two notes separated by the little finger and thumb are quickly repeated alternately, was taken up as a measurement movement, and the movements of three subjects were measured and their skills were evaluated. As a result of breaking down the tremolo into cycles, the number of cycles per second tended to be larger for subjects with longer piano experience. It was found that in order to perform the tremolo required to play a piece of music, it is important to minimize finger movements and use mainly the elbow and shoulder joints, and that synchronized internal and external rotation of the shoulders and flexion and extension of the elbows enable faster tremolo performance.

In fruit cultivation, it is important to develop assistive technologies based on the evaluation of muscle activities for aiding the agricultural workers due to aging issues. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is well known and used to measure the muscle activity in wide fields such as rehabilitation and sports. However, it is difficult to apply the measurements for sweaty hard works conducted outdoors because of noise sensitivity. In recent years, Force myography has been proposed as a robust system and used for evaluating muscle activities as a convenient measurement method. In this study, we developed an FMG sensor based on durometer structure with the reaction force measurement using pressure sensor. And the usefulness of the sensing system was confirmed in the experiments of load lifting and apple harvesting motion.

Omniphobic surface, which has both hydrophobicity and oleophobicity, is needed as a technique of industrial application because liquid in the environment is a complex mixture of water and oil. In this study, polymer surfaces were textured using laser interferometry to obtain the porous surfaces required for omniphobic surface. An optical unit was fabricated from a liquid crystal on a silicon-spatial light modulator, a collimated lens, a mask with two holes, a beam expander, and an aspheric condensing lens. After coupling the prepared porous surface, lubricating oil was applied. The sliding speed and sliding durability were shown to be optimized by the depth of grooves and surface roughness, processing conditions were demonstrated where water and oleic acid slide off at an inclination angle of 10°.

Observations of the frosting process on line-patterned hydrophobic surfaces have reported. The frost does not penetrate into the spaces, and it is believed that the frost adhesion can be reduced. Therefore, there is a possibility that this technology can be applied to prevent icing. However, the relationship between the line patterns and the ice adhesions of ice following freezing has not been studied. Therefore, in this study, the line patterns with the various space widths were fabricated on some silicon substrate surfaces, and the relationship between the change in hydrophobicity due to the line patterns and the icing force was investigated. As a result, it was found that the icing force decreases as the contact angle increases and does not change with the space widths of the line patterns.

Instabilities are commonly manifested in our daily lives, such as in water jets breaking into isolated drops, wave patterns at the sea surface, sand dunes, cloud waves, ruptures of paint from a wall, and wrinkles on human skin. Previously, we have fabricated hierarchical concentric wrinkled-structures by 3D-stretching method combining UVO and plasma treatments. The hierarchical structure has been achieved via structural transfer. However, the fabrication of hierarchical structures requires a complicated transcription process. In this study, we examined the fabrication of hierarchical wrinkled-structures by 3D-stretching method continuous plasma and UVO treatment.

In this study, we characterized the lubrication properties of two different nanostripe patterns comprising micro- and nanogrooves. The friction coefficient distribution was measured using a convex lens as a slider. For the zigzag pattern, friction force depended on the scanning lines when the slider slid along the direction of the apex of the zigzag grooves. For the straight groove pattern, though the friction coefficients were found to periodically undulate along the scan lines with a period equal to the unit pattern, the phase of the undulation was affected by the scanning line. Numerical calculations were conducted to calculate the oil film thickness, and we discussed the relation between the distribution of the friction force and the oil film thickness.

Gecko has ability to climb up easily on smooth vertical surface such as window glass. There are thousands of nano size hairs on the Gecko's feet. They cause strong attractive van der Waal’s force. Aihara and Chibana suggested the Super Gecko structure in which the normal polyethylene (PE) molecules are vertically transplanted on a plate. Two of this structure are interlocked like as zip fastener. In present study, self-formation process of the Super Gecko structure is simulated by molecular dynamics (MD) method. The separated Super Gecko structures with distributed electric charge on the PE molecules form the zipped Super Gecko structure on oneself. The opposite electric charges cause attractive force between two separated structures. The size dependency of self-formation of Super Gecko structure is simulated.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have achieved considerable efficiency gains in terms of energy consumption, but further improvements remain a challenge. One example is electrical failure of bearings. The electrical environment of bearings, such as the sources of shaft voltage and bearing current and the different components, as well as typical modes of bearing electrical failure, such as various localized damage and poor lubrication, have been reported, but the mechanism of lubrication failure remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the molecular behavior of lubricating oil when an electric current is applied, especially molecular orientation and physical and chemical adsorption characteristics on sliding surfaces. A microscopic FT-IR in-situ observation system was applied to clarify the molecular behavior of the lubricating oil. Oleic acid was used as a typical lubricant. It was found that the friction coefficient increased on the charged surface. FT-IR spectra suggested that the dissociation of dimers of oleic acid due to surface charge. As a result, friction coefficient increased since molecular orientation of dimers was reduced. Moreover, lubricant molecules became difficult to adsorb on a negatively charged surface, thereby decreasing the boundary lubricant film thickness.

The mechanical and electrical properties of metallic materials change depending on the crystal structure. In this study, we investigate local alloying method using burnishing process. The process is carried out at 400 °C, then, EDX analysis is used to investigate whether tool elements diffuse into the specimen. As a result, Ni element is detected on the processed surface under the condition of 2.2 kN.

In this study, we investigated and analyzed the correlation between high beam and low beam and the low beam irradiation characteristics of LED head lamps using a headlight tester based on each inspection standard for automotive headlights. From the experimental results, it was confirmed that the irradiation characteristics switched to the low beam did not fully satisfy the inspection criteria with respect to the appropriate irradiation direction and luminosity of the high beam. It was also found that when the halogen lamp was changed to the LED head lamp in the low beam of the 4-lamp type headlight, the change in the irradiation direction was small, but the increase in the irradiation light intensity differed depending on the vehicle.

In this study, we propose a method to automatically generate driving lanes in the section where no lane lines exist, such as intersections, with the intension of using it in the process of producing high-precision digital road maps for automated driving vehicles. The lanes are generated by setting the entrances and exits of intersections based on the location information of landmarks such as curbstones and white lines recorded in the high-precision digital road map, and connecting the entrances and exits using deflection curves of beams to generate travel lanes with smooth curvature changes. The travel lanes generated by the proposed method were compared with the routes in previous studies, and it was confirmed that the curvature change of the lanes was smooth.

This paper evaluates a proposed Interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) in numerical simulation by COMSOL Multiphysics. Not only the primary electromagnetic analysis is performed, but also Multiphysics simulation with heat transfer is carried out, to investigate the properties of the proposed IPMSM. Results of simulations agree with theoretical solution. It shows the present method has a good ability of this kind of simulation in designing IPMSM, especially from view point of Multiphysics simulation.

In this study, dynamic maps are being constructed for the road stability of autonomous vehicles and vehicles equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), which are currently undergoing demonstration experiments. Tire and road surface friction characteristics, which govern vehicle motion performance, are important, and a database is being built to add road surface characteristics data, which vary in various driving environments, to the dynamic map. In previous research, a measurement method of road friction coefficient and an estimation method of road friction characteristics were proposed. However, there is a problem that the overall estimation accuracy is affected by the estimation accuracy of the coefficient of friction at the time of tire lock, and the estimation accuracy decreases. Therefore, in this paper, the friction coefficient, at the time of tire lock is estimated by the estimation method considering the friction state change of the tire block in the ground plane in the physical tire model. This paper describes the results of an attempt to improve the estimation accuracy of overall road surface friction characteristics. In the future, we will investigate whether the method studied can be used for other tires. Also, we will study vehicle dynamics control using the database constructed by using these method.

When there is a traffic jam on the main line road, in order to avoid this, some vehicles flow into the parallel residential areal roads. . In the previous report, the authors analyzed the relationship between the traffic jam on the main line road in front of the intersection where traffic jam occurs and the traffic volume on residential areal road in parallel with this. And specific safety countermeasures were found from the analysis of the accident occurrence situation. In this report, the authors analyzed the situation of sudden braking and the analysis of traffic accidents for the residential areal roads parallel to the section beyond the intersection of traffic jams. From the results of these analyzes, the authors clarified the dangerous factors, and considered the relationship with the section causing congestion on the arterial road.

In the risk potential driver model used to generate path control targets for autonomous vehicles, traffic elements such as obstacles and traffic rules are represented by risk potential, and safe routes are determined by synthesizing them. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the control target path adapted to the individual by quantifying the feel of risk that the human driver perceives and using it as a parameter of the driver model. This paper describes a method for estimating risk potential parameters using human driving maneuver in the overtaking situation and confirm of effectivity. A travel path measured by the simple driving simulator was functionally approximated to create a smooth trajectory as a sigmoid curve, and the steering operation to obtain this trajectory was calculated. The risk potential parameter was calculated by the nonlinear least squares method using the relationship between the deviation of the risk received from the left and right and the steering angle. Estimated parameters are defined as random variables. Also, the representative values for the parameters are average values and apply to the driver model. As a result, it was confirmed that the driving behavior of each driver could be reproduced with high accuracy.

In this study, I used a simulation to investigate the effect of the quantity and the position of correspondence points between 2D and 3D on the accuracy of camera calibration. The 3D points for simulation of the camera calibration were measured by a 3D laser scanner and were added variability (mean = 0 mm, SD = 10 mm). The 2D points for simulation of the camera calibration were calculated projecting the 3D points onto a 2D image with the camera parameters, and were added variability (mean = 0 pixel, SD = 0 ~ 4 pixel). In the case of the relatively accurate camera calibration (54 pair points, RMSE = 1.8), the simulation results showed that the camera calibration were stable with respect to the 2D points variability. And, the camera viewpoint error was estimated to be within 100 mm. In the case of the inaccurate camera calibration (36 pair points, RMSE = 2.7), the simulation results showed that the camera calibration were unstable with respect to 2D points variability. And, the camera viewpoint error was estimated to be 100mm or more. Therefore, by running the simulation after calibrating the camera, we were able to estimate the stability of calculation results and statistical evaluation of the camera parameters.

Active steering is one of the methods to improve the curve passing performance of railway vehicle. It improves steering performance by driving the actuator in accordance with the curvature. Curvature is a necessary parameter for active steering. This paper proposes a method for estimating curvature of track using a front view camera. The proposed system can be divided into three parts. First, semantic segmentation is performed to estimate the position of track from camera images. Second, the track position and radius are calculated by performing circular and straight-line fitting based on the estimated track position used semantic segmentation. Finally, the proposed system calculates the mean squared error of the track position estimated by semantic segmentation and the track position calculated by circular or straight-line fitting, and the proposed system is determined whether the track section is a straight or curved section. Furthermore, the proposed system is verified by using a 1/10 scale model experimental vehicle. Validation results show that the proposed system is capable of estimating curvature of track.

The number of vehicles in the world has been increasing for many years. With the serious aging of the world, the aging of drivers has become norm. Traffic safety is particularly important. The vehicle safety system has also been significantly improved, such as active braking, lane departure warning, 360-degree panoramic images, etc. All of which have greatly improved the safe driving of vehicle. On the other hand, Lack of the concentration of a driver and degeneration of the reaction time of driver operations are also the main causes of some traffic accidents. Especially, when a vehicle turns at a intersection, a driver must have high judgement. The purpose of this study is to develop the vehicle collision avoidance system through using wireless vehicle communication(VCAS). This system is constructed by a fixed point sensor set up by a road and vehicle information system. A fixed point sensor inform the traffic information to a vehicle. When the vehicle is dangerous condition, VCAS controls the vehicle and avoid a collision. In this paper we would like to examine the application in right turn collision avoidance at intersection.

The "Blue Jay Programme" is an educational program for students (mainly university students and technical college students) from educational institutions around the world that utilizes our large scale balloon launch method. This programme will be from the designing the satellite, the students work together with our engineers to design, build, and verification / test the manufactured satellite on the ground, and finally launch the manufactured satelite to the stratosphere using our launch method and verify the final satellite in the stratosphere.

We will also introduce our satelite sotoring method based on the Japanese "Origami" method.

In this study, we attempted to utilize solid-solid phase change material (PCM) as a new passive thermal control system to realize a low-temperature operable electric power system that can be used for micro/nanosatellites and other space applications. W-doped vanadium dioxide (VWO₂) was employed and its solidification and combination with a lithium-ion cell were considered. According to the charge-discharge operation of the lithium-ion cell embedded in VO₂-based solid-solid PCM (LiB-1450/VWO₂+ER）in a temperature range of 40 to -20°C under vacuum, it was found that the PCM block was effective in holding the suitable temperature around 0°C, resulting stable charging-discharging of LiB-1450/VWO₂+ER with relatively low internal resistance. These results reveal the promising potential of the thermal management using a VO₂-based solid-solid PCM to construct a highly reliable electric power supply for spacecrafts, especially CubeSats, with minimal assistance, such as a heater.

The authors are developing a small-scale hybrid rocket (HR). As the rocket reaches a higher altitude, it is essential to acquire a 3D attitude of the rocket during flight to review the launch experiments. Therefore, research is conducted to establish an attitude estimation method. In this study, a small computer and sensors were built, and launch experiments were conducted using a water rocket. The roll, pitch, and yaw angles were calculated using acceleration and angular velocity values from data acquired before and during the ballistic flight of the water rocket, and the Euler angle was obtained. The estimated rocket attitude was visualized by using 3D graphics. The results show that the calculated roll, pitch, and yaw angles using angular velocity during rocket flight were considered unfeasible due to the gimbal lock that occurs after the rocket passes the apex of ballistic flight. Since it was found that the use of Euler angles was inappropriate for estimating rocket attitude, the quaternions will be used in the future.

As the number of micro-deep space probes launched by large rockets using the piggyback increases, the demand for safe, low-cost, re-ignitable, and high-thrust kick motors for efficient inter-orbit satellite transfer is expected to increase as well. Low-concentration hydrogen peroxide is the most suitable oxidizer for hybrid kick motors for micro-spacecraft in terms of safety, low cost, and ease of storage. However, it has difficulty in ignitability and flame holding due to its high water content. In this study, we considered a method to decompose low-concentration hydrogen peroxide by external heating using a heat exchanger before supplying it to a CAMUI-type fuel. A ground combustion experiment showed that flame holding was successfully achieved, however, there were vibrations in the combustion chamber pressure. In order to obtain the lower limit of the heating required for stable combustion, we plan to evaluate the flame holding limit and calculate the heat input to the hydrogen peroxide.

Hybrid rockets use different phases of oxidizer and fuel as the propellant to obtain thrust. Hybrid rockets have advantages such as higher safety, lower cost compared to conventional type rockets, and restart ability. However, they have the disadvantage of low thrust. The combustion chamber of a hybrid rocket engine requires the aft-combustion chamber for the fuel to complete chemical reaction before entering the nozzle. In other words, if the axial length of the aft-combustion chamber is insufficient, combustion will be incomplete and the combustion efficiency will be reduced. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the ratio of fuel to aft-combustion chamber length on the thrust characteristics of hybrid rocket engine and to optimize the length of fuel and aft-combustion chamber. The engine with a rated thrust of 10kgf was used in the experiment. Oxygen gas was used as the oxidizer and acrylic was used as the fuel. The fuel block lengths used in the experiments were 225, 150, 125, and 100mm. The effect of the ratio of fuel to aft-combustion chamber length on thrust characteristics was investigated.

As Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which can fly only by controlling the rotor thrust are expected to be used in various fields in the future, so the demand for long-range flight is expected to increase. For instance, it is an effective application that UAVs is used to inspect offshore wind power generations but wind, flight paths or navigations affect flight efficiency and flyable range when operating in a real environment. It is useful for optimizing flight performance to use simulations in various cases before flying there to obtain parameters. Therefore, this study constructs an aircraft model and flight environment that are close to an actual environment and perform simulations in some simple cases. In the future, the parameters will be applied to multi-rotor drones or vertical take-off and landing aircrafts (VTOL) and inspect offshore wind power generations using them. The report explain research into the development of a simulation using MATLAB/Simulink that considering wind effects and the flight evaluation of long-range flight.

A landing simulation of the twin-engine lateral force plate UAV was performed. Roll angle. At a constant pitch angle, the turning radius and turning center were controlled by PID control, and the descent rate was reduced depending on the altitude to attempt landing. The aircraft landed while making a stable turning flight, but the center of turning could not be maintained due to the influence of wind disturbance. It is considered that this is because the steering angle of the vertical steering blade was insufficient. In the future, we will conduct actual machine experiments based on this simulation result.

We demonstrated the feasibility of an on-orbit charge/discharge simulation for an electric power system of CubeSats based on the internal resistance of a commercial cylindrical lithium-ion battery (LIB), which will be installed in the several CubeSats by two kinds of measurements: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and current-rest-method (CRM). Both simulations of SOC based on the internal resistance derived from EIS and CRM were in close agreement with the respective SOC behavior obtained by hardware simulators, indicating that accuracy of the simulations. Furthermore, we also discussed the effects of the internal resistance measurement on the battery state estimation. Meanwhile it was found that the deep consideration of the variation in internal resistance due to cell operation is required to realize an accurate on-orbit simulation, thus further optimization of the simulation with taking account the heat generation during battery operation is required to realize accurate battery management of the electric power supply for CubeSats.