Recently, many power-assist robots are studied in various fields. We try to use a power-assist exoskeleton robot to nurse elderly persons and physically handicapped persons. In this paper, we propose a new shoulder mechanism for a 7DOF upper-limb power-assist exoskeleton robot. It is known that human's shoulder rotation center changes according to the movement of upper-limb. This new mechanism corresponds to its change of it without additional actuators and large constructers. The power-assist robot with this mechanism supports daily life of physically weak persons who use a wheelchair.

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In this paper, a new walking-assist system is investigated for visually handicapped. In order to assist perception-ability of the user, the perception-assist using a power-assist robot has been proposed. It automatically modifies the user's motion if the robot detected the possibility of collision between the user and some obstacles in the moving direction of user. However, it is better that environmental information is transmitted in advance. Our new walking-assist system assists user's environment perception using tactile stimulation. Specifically, it provides information of obstacle (such as the location, size and distance from the user) to user's tactile sensation by using mechanical stimulus (vibration and pressure). Hence the characteristics of human tactile sensation are studied to design the walking-assist system.

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This paper proposes a wearable hand-free-stick to assist walking motion for the people who use a stick in daily life. The stick in the proposed device works to enlarge ZMP area so that the walking balance will be improved. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed hand-free-stick mechanism compared to the general stick.

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Recently many intelligent prosthetic hand are studied. We try to design wrist mechanism which imitate real human wrist motion, which consider that shift of rotation axis of palmar-volar flexion and radial-ulnar flexion. This paper describes the target trajectory of rotation axis which is measured by a motion capture system with tracking makers on hand for palmar-volar flexion and radial-ulnar flexion motions. Each motion is measured with 5 subjects.

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Electromyography (EMG) has been frequently proposed as the driving signal for controlling powered exoskeletons. This study aims to develop a light and wearable upper extremity exoskeleton controlled by EMG signals to support the elbow and shoulder joints. This exoskeleton has four degrees of freedom, one for elbow joint and three for shoulder joint. The flexion and extension movements of elbow and shoulder joint are actively powered to support the wearer and other two Dof of shoulder joints are freely passive. The processing of EMG signals and the mechanism and control system are developed. The movements of the prototype are verified.

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This paper proposes a biological information-based control algorithm for a running assistive device to synchronize a fluctuation of a running motion. The running motion is not uniform during running. A period of the running is fluctuating all time since a runner adjusts the stride for his body balance against external disturbances. The assistive device for the runner has to infer a moment to start the support to achieve effective assistance. This paper introduces the algorithm to infer a state of the running based on muscle activities of the lower limb. The performance of the algorithm is investigated through some experiments.

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Workers in logistics sorting center stand up stretching their bended knee in order to hold the parcel. People working in the logistics use this method to prevent low back pain. To assist these operations, exoskeleton is required to assist the motion of stretching the knee joint. Therefore we developed power assist technology using wearable exoskeleton to reduce the body burden during loading and unloading operations by the support of the knee joint motion and performed the primary evaluation.

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This paper proposes a presentation interface of hip joint angle for paraplegic patient using a small electrode array. Current powered exoskeletons help the patient's walk on the basis of biopotential signal. However, the exoskeletons have two problems. First, patient's intentions related to a walk are not synchronized with the assistive leg motions completely. Second, paraplegic patients with the exoskeleton cannot perceive legs' information such as joint angles and floor contact because the patients have lost afferent signal flows. We proposed a finger-mounted walk controller for the first problem before. However, the controller is not based on human nerve system. In addition, we proposed feedback device for conveying hip joints angle by electric stimulation for the second problem before. However, the patients have to cover their all fingers with electrodes for using the device. To control legs on the basis of human nerve system and to miniaturize presentation parts, we propose a presentation interface of hip joint angle for paraplegic patient using a small electrode array.

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In this paper, we propose a shoes-attachment system to attach and release wearable mobility by simple action of one leg. This attachment does not need a purpose-built shoes and the operation by hands. To embody this idea, a slide mechanism and newly proposed lock mechanism are used. The lock mechanism switches its lock or release mode by the speed of leg motion. The attach and release action are very simple. To attach to the shoe, a person needs to only step on the attachment. In the period of using the mobility, the attachment locks the shoes to the mobility. To release shoe from the attachment, the person needs to raise his feet slowly. In this report, we introduce the mechanism and report the verification of this mechanism.

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Researchers are continuing to search for ways to achieve sustainability as it is a major concern for human society which may be addressed in a variety of different fields such as energy, environment, food, and transportation. Working in this same direction, we conducted agricultural fieldwork in north Portugal to examine what technology exists and what is necessary in order to achieve sustainability. We visited an agricultural college and an agricultural support company in north Portugal. This paper will present the results of the fieldwork and the discussions of technology needed to achieve sustainability.

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We are developing a small compact electric motor tricycle with a low powered battery (7.2V, approximately 2Ah in total) as the electric power source for traveling room purposes. A multistep transmission mechanism was designed and fabricated using gears, chains, and sprockets. A 150 W maxon DC motor was used, and the motor speed was controlled using a PWM using MOS-FETs and a PIC microcomputer. To evaluate the tricycle, test ride by user and running experiments were conducted. In the test ride, many comments were obtained. And, in the running experiments using a low powered battery (7.2V, 1.95Ah in total), we confirmed that the fabricated vehicle was able to operate 46 minutes 5 seconds at a speed of 3.02 km/h.

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The pico-EV Eco Challenge 2015 was held at National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College. Participants compete the 30 minutes running distance using only six small rechargeable Ni-MH (Nickel metal hydride) batteries. Nine vehicles with approximately 70 persons were participated. The champion was able to run approximately 4.6km. This paper will present the administration and results of the competition.

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A natural material can be manufactured with little energy and decomposes after the end of its lifetime. Switching from the use of chemical resources to natural resources is recommended as a solution to environmental problems. The authors have been developed an ultra-small size electric tricycle, personal-EV which used the bamboo fiber reinforced laminated plates aiming at movement in the limited area for elderly people. In this study, an example for design and development of charring baggage type personal-EV using green-composite-hybrid materials which consist of bamboo-fiber reinforced laminated plate and reinforced corrugated fiberboard for heavy export packing was introduced.

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In recent years, an increasing number of social robots interact with people, in many cases to conduct a conversation remains expressionless. Therefore, the robot is aimed to be a live coexist with people is considered to still far. In this study, in addition to the function of traditional social robot, the robot to perform the research and development of a more friendly robot with people that the facial expression representation. The developed social robot has functions as an expression, a conversation and automatic tracking.

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This study aims to achieve cooperative navigation systems of tele-presence robots which anyone can operate easily. We have already developed a navigation method based online updating way points according to operator's intentions at remote sites. However, the developed system provides operators narrow camera views around a mobile robot. It is hard for operators to feel that they exist in remote sites. This paper considers an operation interface to provide high realities of presence in remote sites.

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We have been developing an android robot SAYA that has human-like appearance and capability of expressing facial expressions. In the field of android robot, there is a fundamental problem called "Uncanny valley" to be tackled for practical applications. In order to explore a difference in acceptance of the android robot between generations, we conducted a recreation with the Android Robot SAYA for elderly people and children. In the recreation, we also showed short movies of "industrial robot" and "toy robot" for comparison. We then asked elderly people and children to answer the questionnaire that consists of 12 questions related to affinity, mystique, and reality to evaluate impressions of those robots. The questionnaire results show that impressions of the android robot differ between the generations, and elderly people are open to the android robot.

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In this study, focusing on realization of healthy and sustainable lifestyle, a design of the living environment has been discussed. An experimental system consists with actual sized model powered by renewable energy, renewable energy sources and computers for analysis. Using the experimental system, relations between the design of the living environment and the several information, such as power consumption, power generation, power storage amount, solar irradiance, weather, wind velocity, room temperature and humidity, and so on, is analyzed. In this paper, a method for estimating the related position of devices measuring indoor environmental information based on sound wave of audible band is proposed. The method is implemented to an experimental system and experimental results show the validity of the proposed method.

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Recently, an electric car is the focus of attention, with concerns about the environment. However, These electric cars have problems with cruising range, infrastructure building and so on. Especially, in countryside, it is very difficult to develop the infrastructure for electric cars. Then, our design concept decides to make energy in simple batteries which are sold in supermarket and so on. And, our car designed only a few small batteries (unit 3 type: 6 batteries). However, if this small car is used by general, it need high level efficient for energy. In this research, we aim to reduce the resistance for eco-car. For the running efficiency of Eco-Car, we have developed a small electric vehicle of new design improvements and small electric vehicle. We report about how to reduce a vehicle body weight using Magnesium alloy and evaluation of the running efficiency in flat road when it is played in the "pico-EV・Eco Challenge 2015" in this paper.

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We are proposing new style vehicles using sustainable energy: hydrogen and plant oil. An electric vehicle which is able to move using plant oil, named as bio-EV, is developed. A diesel engine is rotated using vegetable oil. The diesel engine rotates a DC motor which is an electricity generator. The bio-EV is able to run using the generated electricity. This paper will present the designed vehicle system, waste oil filtering, the experiments of diesel engine starting using waste vegetable oil, and the running experiments using waste vegetable oil.

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A water hydraulic manipulator is useful for clean condition tasks and we are developing the 4 joints manipulator. But the manipulator has one rotating joint operated by electric power, it is needed to change water hydraulic power source. This paper reports the water hydraulic motor concept with 3 crank pistons and prototype device.

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After the great east earthquake and tsunami on 11, March 2011, people's faith on nuclear power plants was completely broken and has been shifted to renewable power resources. To addition to this, the government announced that surplus energies are bought entirely. Therefore, a lot of large scaled solar power plants called as mega-solar power plants, have been built in every place. Because a mega-solar power plant contain an extremely lot of solar panels, its maintenance and inspection requires many manpower resources. In this study, to reduce manpower resources on the mega-solar power plant, an autonomous maintenance system is proposed. The system consists with mobile robots, infrastructures for inspection and a control server. Mobile robots, which are commanded by the control server, inspect solar panels coordinating infrastructures. In this paper, a concept of the system and a design of a mobile robot are proposed.

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We are developing engine generator system independent of crank. We presented new motion method of the system and produced simulator. The simulator can measure energy of the system. This paper shows effectiveness of the method

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Power generation system for local production and consumption was proposed. This system utilizes the GET system does not need a big facility. Therefore. the system can be realized in infrastructure-less. In addition, it provide a new source of income to farmers by bio-methane power generation. It is possible to construct a system that villages independent by making use of the proposed system. In this paper. report on the current state of research and configuration of the system.

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Smooth interaction between human and robot is necessary for coexistence of human and robot. Humans usually interact with each other smoothly by using gestures, thus we focused on them. We conducted two experiments in order to investigate a relationship between human attention and robot's posture. According to the result, there is a difference between robot's point of gaze and position of human's attention. Then we proposed a computational model of robot's posture that provides appropriate rotation angles of motors of arms and head to draw human's attention considering the difference. At last, from the experiments, we showed relationships between the rotation angles of motors and position/size of human's attention. The relationships contribute to develop a computational model of robot's posture that enables robot to smoothly interact with humans.

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The challenge of the study is impressing a human with a painting created by a robot. In this research, we define "kansei" as what emerges from human's inside. For example, you might think that the moon is beautiful, the sunset is Japanese's mind "mono-no-aware," and so on. We propose a painting creating system that makes a human feel a specific state of kansei. The system is divided into a drawing part that creates paintings and an appreciation part that estimates kansei of a human from a painting created by the drawing part. When a target state of kansei is given to it, it calculates numerical difference between the target and estimated states of kansei, and uses the difference in the next drawing part. This paper describes the framework of the painting creating system, and evaluation of its performance.

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We aim at a robot to manipulate human's mental state. Manipulating human's mental state, a robot is expected to relieve human's anxiety or decrease human's unpleasant feelings. It is known that human's facial expression is one of the signal caused by a change of mental state. As a means to manipulate human's mental state, we have been proposed an action selection method of predicting human's facial expression. A robot is expected to selects an action based on prediction of human's facial expression to elicit arbitrary human's expression. Using the method, we performed an experiment of arbitrary human's facial expression elicitation with Mof-mof robot. Mof-mof robot selected some actions to elicit happy, surprised, angry and surprised facial expression from examinees. In some cases, several types of a target facial expression seems to be elicited by robot's action.

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In the previous methods to operate the robot, the buttons or touch panel mounted on the robot has been used in many cases. However, there are some problems. Users have to approach near by the robot, and the operation screen larger than the size of the robot is not able to be mounted on the robot. To solve such problems, the projection GUI was developed as interface to implement to a mobile robot. In the projection GUI, the operation screen of a mobile robot is projected on the floor by a projector. The operation commands to the robot can be given by pointing on the screen with toe. However, only a floor was able to project the operation screen in the conventional system. This study aims at development and reliability improvement of the projection GUI which can project to an arbitrary plane.

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In Japan an increasingly aging society there is a growing need for preventive care. Since the gymnastics that was the purpose of health assistance in this study to conduct health assistance for the purpose of gymnastics continuation of the elderly using the robot partner, introduced the cooperation principle in utterance of robot in gymnastics support, in gymnastics and the robot was proposed to adjust the amount of speech. Ease of understanding of the description of gymnastics has become clear that increased by introducing a cooperative principle.

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Measuring laugh as smile or laughter can lead to understand the phenomenon of laugh, evaluate the quality and quantity of laugh, and can be used as a cue for human-robot interaction. We focus on laughter and develop laughter detection. In this paper, we analyzed laughter from various kinds of laughter's voices. The result of analysis showed that the fundamental frequency of laughter is higher than that in daily conversation. Moreover, we founded that the pattern of laughter which accounts for more than 90% of the total is a series of /ha/ or /hu/ like hahahaha. Intensity of these laughter has characteristics of periodic peak. The algorithm which used this feature acquired 82% precision rate and 73% recall rate. In addition, we developed laughing robot with a person and considered an application of the algorithm.

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To enrich human-like robot facial expressions, robot designers should know how much and to which directions each human facial part moves for various facial expressions. However, combinations of facial part movements are too complex to determine appropriate design parameters of robot facial deformation mechanisms such as the number, locations, and orientations of actuators for realizing intended reproducibility of each human facial expression. This paper proposes an analysis method of various human facial expressions to determine the design parameters for human-like face robots. The proposed method superimposes several measured human skin flow fields, and extracts the direction of the first principal component of the motion vectors for each facial marker. Its contribution rate was 86%, which indicates each facial part moves almost only in one direction even when a human exhibits several facial expressions. Then, the proposed method estimates which face area moves similarly through cluster analysis of a vector field of the first principal component vector of each facial marker.

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We propose a telepresence robot that exaggerates non-verbal cues for taking turns in teleconferences. In multi-party teleconferences, it is more difficult for the remote participants to take their turns than face-to-face. It is said that an addressee tends to be next speaker. Therefore, becoming the addressee is a previous step to become a speaker and take turns. In order to make the remote participant become addressee, proposed system detected remote participant's non-verbal cues such as attention directions, nod motions and back-channels. Then, the system exaggerates the cues and expresses them as the robot's motions.

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Demands for robots which support our daily lives increase, and the communication ability is essential for such robots. Many researchers have been devoting their effort to develop various methods to understand languages, but perceiving the emotion of its conversation partner is also important for communications. Heart Rate Variability is expected to be useful for guessing human feelings, which is considered to be a method for measuring human psychological stress responses. In this report, we confirm the change of a physiological measure, Heart Rate Variability, during conversations with communication robots can be detected by using a pulse oximeter, which encourages to develop future application using sensing devices for physiological reactions.

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Ethologically inspired human-robot communication has been studied to realize long-term social relationships between a robot and persons. Specifically, dogs' attachment behavior is applied to the robot. This paper presents an approach to behavioral characteristic of the robot's attachment behavior. The behavioral characteristic is determined by three factors. In the previous model, the factors of the behavioral characteristic are given as fixed numerical values. Therefore, the behavioral characteristic of the robot would not change even if the robot has experiences of interactions with persons. To develop social relationships between the robot and a person, it is more natural that the robot behavioral characteristic is changed based on the interaction history. In this paper, persons' behaviors during interaction and processes of robot behaviors are evaluated and the factors of behavioral characteristic are updated. We evaluate the proposed method to update the behavioral characteristic through experiments.

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In recent years most of rescue support robots perform aboveground in searching and rescuing. However, it is difficult to discover rescuers at under rubble or ground from aboveground. The aim of this research is to develop the digging type underground exploration robot. This robot has two rotation joint in the arms and can move ahead in the ground using this arms like a mole. So this robot can access a rescuer from underground in disaster site. But a motor torque for this robot did not become clear at first. For that reason, we made simulated underground for experiment environment and identified the necessary torque for digging experimentally.

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In this paper, we propose a discovery support system by using fuzzy reasoning. The system uses a CCD camera, a nightscope and a radiant heat thermometer.

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This paper presents a novel four-limb robot which possesses good adaptability to extreme environments. Extreme environments can be classified into three indexes: unevenness, narrowness, and inclination. Because each limb has a common structure, the proposed robot can walk with two or four limbs. Robustness against mechanical failure is increased because the robot can continue to move with two limbs if one or two limbs are broken. The four-limb robot has high accessibility in extreme environments such as passing a narrow space, ascending spiral stairs, climbing a vertical ladder and so on. The robot can also maintain high stability on uneven terrain by making the trunk contact on the ground.

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The paper provides a shelled track using bent track shoes for flexible mono-tread mobile track (FMT). Some previous prototypes of FMT could run on various rough terrains. However, edge of the track shoes deflected when they touched to a prominence of obstacles and interfered to the body. The side surface of the FMT was not covered with the track shoes, and thus the weak parts made from ABS plastic were broken. Therefore, we propose a shelled track for FMT, develop a prototype, RT05-COBRA and evaluate mobility via random step fields.

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In disaster site such as the earthquake and nuclear accident, the autonomous quadruped robots are required for the long-term rescue activities. In order to search the victims inside collapsed buildings, the robot's requirements are follows; the built-in power source for the independent drive without the power cable, the jumping mobility for uneven terrains, the lightweight so that it could not promote the further collapse. In this research, we focus on the pneumatic driven robots, because these robots are the higher power-to-weight ratio compared with the electric and hydraulic driven ones. However, the independent drive of the pneumatic robots are difficult, because the external compressor more than 100kg is required. Thus the purpose of this study is development of quadruped robot equipped with engine-driven air compressor. We developed the small-sized and light-weighted compressor driven by the engine which is used for the radio-controlled car. In this paper, we evaluated our compressor and the developed robot, individually.

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A captive balloon system named InfoBalloon has been developed as a system for collecting and distributing disaster information. In the disaster, information and communication service may break down by congestion of communication line, destruction of base stations, disconnection of cables, and so on. Therefore disaster area residents will fall into informational isolation. As a new emergency communication approach to solve these problems, we have investigated a method for the information distribution by flashing LEDs loaded on InfoBalloon. This paper describes algorithms for receiving flashing LEDs by using a smart phone camera, and method to increase transmission quantity by using multi-color LEDs.

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In this paper, we descried a mobile robot the method of moving the uneven terrain by to change an external environment. Generally, a rescue robot has flipper arm and crawler to traverse rough terrain. However, Mobility limit is provided at the time of design of body. When the robot has a function that changes the external environment, a mobility of the robot is extended. Termites build a huge mound in arid region. They make mud pellets using the soil, feces and saliva. We focused on this building function of the termites, and apply to a robot for changing environment. To implement the function, we used polyurethane foam instead of mud pellet. The experiment showed that the possibility of a robot traverses high step and a deep ditch. This result means the robot obtained a function to change external environment.

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When a disaster occurred, the rescue team needs to gather information as soon as possible. However, due to the risk of secondary disaster, it is difficult to enter the stricken area. Therefore, information gathering method using robot has been researched lately. In this study, we focus on a information gathering method using small sized unmanned aero robots. When operating multi robots, we need to place one person to operate one robot, which is inefficient. If the robots can move autonomously, it might reduce the burden of the operator. Thus, we propose an algorithm for autonomous flight control of the robots and to give the robots an ability to identify the exploration area by themselves.

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We propose and develop Attack Judgment System referring the lesson from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In this study, we developed path planning method for autonomous control on uneven ground in Attack Judgment System. In this paper, I describe proposed algorithm and the result of simulation supposed on uneven ground. This algorithm consists of six processes. I have just tested at uneven dirt road, sloop, and bush growing tall weed. As a result, I succeed at the former two.

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Today, only a few research projects are done on underground search robots used in disaster hit areas. Most disaster rescue robots help rescuers by searching for victims from above the ground. Yet, even these robots have difficulty in searching for persons buried under the ground or debris. In such circumstances, if robots could work from both above and under the ground, it would greatly help the rescue missions. In this research, I will present a design of a rescue robot that can tunnel through the ground to find victims when earthquakes hits. The research presents a new mechanism by simulating moles' movements.

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Fire fighter robot autonomous navigation requires GPS measurements for 3-D map. However, GPS measurements are not available in all areas. Such situation, is it important to estimate sufficient GPS measurements for 3-D map. This work shows how to estimate areas of GPS measurements in petrochemicals and also how construct a 3-D map based on the fusion of LIDAR sensor with GPS measurements.

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A gamepad and images from a camera mounted on the robot is used in the teleoperation interface for a rescue robot in general. However, the teleoperation is difficult for inexperienced users because the relationship between the user input and resulting robot motion is not always intuitive. To solve this problem, we propose an interface that mixes and presents both visual and haptic sense. In the previous research, we developed a visual-haptic fusion system for teleoperation of a tracked vehicle. In this study, we adapt the system to the operation of a multi-DOF robot. Specifically, the shielding representation for the improvement of the visibility was introduced. In addition, we introduced the force feedback to the fingertip of the operator for the improvement of the operability of flipper arms. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed system by comparison with the operation by using a game pad.

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Small rescue robots that can do rescue operations and collect the information in a tight space are needed at a disaster site. But rescue robots tend to increase in size because a large size robot can easily climb up a step. In order to solve the tradeoff between miniaturization and step climbing ability, we think that step climbing ability of small robots will be improved by using double multiple DOFs arms. In this study, a robot with multiple DOFs arms is developed and software to climb up a step automatically is developed. A performance of the developed robot was confirmed by experiments and the efficacy of the proposed structure was verified comparing with existing robots. Moreover, the efficacy of the automatic climbing up control is verified comparing with the manual control.

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Recently, volcano activation is increasing. Accordingly, various disasters occur. Among them, a debris avalanche has heavy effect for people who are living around volcano. Therefore, the observation method to surveillant volcano surface is necessary. In this study, we focus on to surveillant amount of volcano ash using excavator. Light and small observation tool is better than heavy tool in case of volcano surface. Because of we would like to move the observation tool to upper position of volcano surface. If the observation tool is light and small, the autonomous carrier like multi copter can move it. Our group develops light small excavator by slider mechanism and rotary drilling.

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This paper describes about relationship between attitude angle of the manipulator for environmental measurement which is equipped with passive adaptive crawler robot and change in the center of gravity position for passive adaptive crawler robot, first, in order to derive the traversable conditions for simple step, created the model. Second, the traversable conditions for simple step obtained from the model was examined adaptable as Stair-climbing sequence. As a result, it is suspected that Stair-climbing sequence has the same as traversable conditions for simple step. Lastly conducted demonstration experiments to verify the effectiveness of the expression.

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In this research, a maneuvering support system for an amphibian rescue vehicle is proposed by applying a nonlinear state feedback control law for the trajectory control of the vehicle. We consider that the vehicle should not drift sideways for a good driving performance. To derive a nonlinear state feedback control law, we define 'Maneuvering Trajectory' as a trajectory which is generated by the driver's maneuver and construct a Lyapunov-like function for the trajectory control system. Then feasibility of the proposed system has been verified through several numerical simulations. In this report, we consider the case that the vehicle has a limit of propulsive force and its influence on maneuverability. Furthermore, we investigate the characteristics of the maneuvering support system when the feedback gains of the nonlinear control law are changed.

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In Japan, A project "Development and social implementation of the robot for the next generation social infrastructure" was started in 2014 by MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). This paper describes about wired/wireless hybrid network system by multiple robots of "Disaster investigation system by the passive adaptive crawler robot." The robot system is assumed to be a use of the private enterprise. For the public facilities such as social infrastructure, the manufacturing factories and offices, this system will be adopted as the inspection/investigation at the usual case, and the damage investigation at the disaster case. The verification perimentation was performed at the imitation tunnel facilities of the NILIM (national institute for land and infrastructure management) in tsukuba-city.

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