The lateral vibration of elevator ropes for high-rise building, which is excited forcibly by the displacements of the building induced by wind forces, is numerically analyzed. Finite difference analyses of the rope vibration with/without vibration suppressor are performed. The advantage of using the vibration suppressors for reducing the rope lateral vibration is demonstrated through the numerical calculation : As the number of the vibration suppressor is made greater, the maximum rope deflection becomes smaller. The resonant position of the rope with vibration suppressor is greatly depends on the distance between the rope and the vibration suppressor.

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We have developed the "Pallet Sorter" a newly automated warehousing. The pallet sorter is designed to handle pallets loaded with goods. This machine can turn pallets 90 degrees and separate or merge flows of pallets, while maintaining their linear high speed on the conveyor. In development of this technology, we used dynamics simulation based on multibody dynamics, and analyzed the action of the pallet. This paper will provide an analysis of this technology.

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This study uses the Energy Flow Method that calculates the energy flow of external forces in each motion to analyze how a rider's vibration characteristics affect the motorcycle weave mode. Weave mode at high speed is stabilized when a rider's vibration characteristics are considered. The external force generated by a rider's upper body acceleration stabilizes rolling motion. Stabilization of rolling motion advances the phase of the front tire side force via the external force generated by rolling acceleration in the steering motion. This phase lead stabilizes lateral motion due to the external force generated by the yaw rate, which, in turn, stabilizes the weave mode.

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With the recent trend toward containerization, it has become necessary for local small and medium-sized harbors to use mobile harbor cranes that are capable of handling containers as well as other general cargoes in different styles. Hence, demands for large-sized mobile harbor cranes, which are self-traveling and versatile but do not require any additional civil works to increase the bearing strength of foundation soil, are increasing. We have recently developed a mobile harbor crane which has anti-sway function for supporting easy operation. Anti-sway method and test result are shown in this paper.

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In recent years, greater speed is required in elevators. However, vibrations deteriorate the ride quality with increase in the speed. The object of this study is to improve the ride quality of elevators by controlling the vibrations. We propose the Active Mass Damper (AMD) for this purpose. The previous report has confirmed that a one-DOF controller can control the horizontal vibration, but rotational vibration worsens the ride quality of elevators as well. In this paper, we develop the controller by using a two-DOF elevator model, which has horizontal and rotational degree-of-freedom. We discuss a feedback control system based on optimal control theory and H_∞ control theory, and confirm the effectiveness by simulations.

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Driving simulator combined with tyre testing machine is proposed in this paper. By using measurement data from tyre testing machine instead of tyre model for dynamic calculation of driving simulator, we can get accurate tyre character on driving simulator in real time and achieve virtual proving ground that we have proposed including tyre. By the experiments, it was shown that the dynamic characteristic difference between two tyres can be reflected dynamic calculation of simulator and the driver can feel the difference by driving on simulator.

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This paper describes the estimation algorithm of of the vehicle and the road condition. This algorithm is formulated based on the Interacting Multiple-Model (IMM) algorithm. Ten system modes of tire are modeled (considered nonlinearity) according to the road friction. Changes of the ten system modes are also modeled as switching from one mode to another in a probabilistic manner. The mode probabilities and states of vehicle are estimated based on Extended Kalman Filter. This algorithm is evaluated in simulation study. Simulation results show that the algorithm is effective in the state estimation of vehicle and road surface.

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Reverse parking requires a high level of steering control, checking the surroundings for safety, and proper car speed management. Therefore, many drivers are not so good at this exercise, and the needs of parking assist are increasing. Moreover, with the increased application of EPS (Electric Power Steering), active wheel speed sensor, and steering angle sensor on vehicles in recent years, steering control that uses only an actuator and the precise estimation of the vehicle position at extremely low speeds have been made possible at low cost. Thus, we developed an advanced parking assist system that integrates these functions. In this paper, we describe the specification and configuration of the system, then focus on the topmost issues in developing the system such as (a) generating a smooth trajectory using clothoid curve, (b) accurate guiding into a trajectory, and describe the respective countermeasures and their effectiveness.

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Automatic collision avoidance systems are being developed for active safety of a vehicle. It is necessary to establish the design method of the optimum avoidance strategies and optimum operation timing in the development. In this paper motion simulation of the vehicle with simple automatic brake or simple automatic steering is conducted to clarify the minimum avoidance distance and the relation between the vehicle speed and the optimum avoidance strategy. As a result, the optimum avoidance strategy is the brake in the lower speed, and the steering avoidance becomes adequate over the cross point of velocity

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Dynamic analysis of an automobile is required to correspond with the result of running tests. We carried out running tests with a kart in order to measure cornering characteristics, and compared the result of running tests with the one of simulation. This paper verifies the range of simulation and the factor of disagreement between simulation and running tests.

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The steering reaction torque is important to car drivers since it has significant influence on the ease of handling vehicle. Even with today's advanced simulation technology, however, it is very difficult to simulate factors such as various steering feelings. The purpose of this study is to develop a steering Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulator that can quantitatively evaluate a steering system. This simulator can control the reaction torque with an AC servomotor. The validity of this HIL simulator is investigated by comparing the simulation results with those obtained with actual vehicle running test.

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This paper proposes a lane following control system that is robust to vehicle parameters variation, measurement noise and loss of sensor data. The loss of data is detected by the Chi-Square Test applied to the residual of an Auto-Regressive Model. The robustness of the control system is characterized by the probability of instability and probabilities of violation of design requirements. The structure of the control system is determined based on the Generalized Predictive Control theory. The design parameters of the controller are optimized by using Genetic Algorithm. Simulation results show that the optimized controller has good control performance and robustness.

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Stochastic Robustness Synthesis (SRS), a simple numerical technique for designing robust system is applied to the design of vehicle steering controller and suspension characteristics. The system robustness is described by the cost function that is the weighted quadratic sum of stochastic robustness metrics. These metrics - probability of instability, probability of violation of performance criteria - are estimated using Monte Carlo evaluation. The design parameters of the Four-Wheel Steering controller and the suspension are determined so as to minimize the cost function. Comparisons between conventional and optimized vehicle system indicate that the proposed method provides has good robust performance.

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This paper is concerned with a driver's behavior of heavy-duty vehicle on car following condition, using the driver model. At first, the driver model which is constructed by first report was extended for dynamic system. And, it is shown that the driver model can control the vehicle for longitudinal direction using the simulation. Furthermore, the relationship between input and output of the driver is analyzed by using of the facotr analysis. Finally, it is concluded that the driver model for longitudinal control for heavy-duty vehicles has been constructed with good description.

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This paper discusses about driver's information processing on driving. Driver's information processing is led from relation of inputs and driver behavior. Therefore we constructed a driver model which was able to reproduce a driver behavior from inputs. Construction of the driver model used a neural network system, and dealt with environmental information and vehicle information. Additionally, in order to express of driver's information processing which is done every time, the model constructed every time. Next we analyzed inside constitution of the model using a factor analysis method because the inside was estimated driver's information processing. At the result, this analysis expressed the information processing quantitatively, and showed about the influence.

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This paper deals with the driver's behavior to use the low speed range ACC system using a driving simulator (DS). In order to examine, the relationship between driver and the system is categorized into four phases, as the state from start to system-on, system-on to system-off, system-off to braking, and braking to stop. On these phases, the effects of the number of trials was analyzed. From these analyses, the outline of the driver's learning process to the system on each phase is found.

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In this study, we tried to evaluate the driver's trust, learning and behaviors in the low speed ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control system; ACC) system for finding driver-car collaboration on the road. The trust showed, it may be caused to drop by the gap of the driver's expectation and system behavior at an inexperienced situation, but the mileage on the system and learning made the trust stable. And we found the drivers would keep vigilant against the traffic from the driver's attention, i. e., braking action for intervening in the system, regardless of the trust, learning and mileage in the system.

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It is important to research drivers' trust in driver assist systems in ITS. In this paper, we measure the trust of drivers in the low-speed ACC systems by the driving simulator experiment, and clarify the relation between the trust and objectively measured parameters. Consequently, it is found that a driver who may have too much trust brakes by usual manner even in case of malfunction of the system.

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The algorithm for on-line flight path optimization for emergency landing of aircraft and its flight experiment are discussed in this paper. On-line optimal flight path generation problem is transformed into the state-space search problem and the Tabu Search method with Random Moves is combined to optimize each segment of the state-space search in real-time. We checked the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in flight simulation, then the plan for the flight experiment scheduled in this October is illustrated. The generated flight path is shown to a pilot in "Tunnel-in-the-Sky" Display, and indicates guidance for emergency landing to the pilot.

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A new brake assist system based on driver's characteristic is proposed in this paper. This paper reports a step of the designing of the brake assist system that the difference in the driver's pedal operation between the normal braking and emergency braking is considered. The result shows that a release velocity at the gas pedal in the normal braking and emergency braking is different. The new system is operated by a detection of the release velocity of the accelerator pedal. The proposed algorithm is evaluated by experiment using driving simulator. The result shows that free running distance is shorter. Eventually, the proposed brake assist system is effective for improving braking distance.

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Recently, various driving support systems such as lane keep system and distance warning system are equipped with vehicles on the market. These systems are effective to enhance the safety and comfort but there exist some points to achieve the further improvement of the systems. One of them is that the systems are generally designed based on the characteristics of average driver. Hence the system does not always fit the characteristics of each driver. Therefore it is useful to develop the adaptable system for the driving characteristics of each driver. In this paper, a designing method is proposed to develop such drive support system. The proposed system is realized by adjusting the system's parameters based on accumulated each driver's behaviors. It is constructed as prevention system of unsafe confirmation at he intersection with stop sigh. The system has functions that judge if the driver confirms correctly at the intersection by Self Organizing Maps and that predict the future driver's behavior by Bayesian Network, and so on. The data of driver's behavior which is necessary to achieve the system are measured by driving simulator (DS). The effectiveness of the system is verified by the DS experiments.

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We propose the assist system for the sidewalk snow remover operation that makes sidewalk snow removal easier and safer. Currently sidewalk snow removal is carried out by compact rotary snow blowers. The assist system provides information on guide routes and warnings to the vehicle drivers. The system always recognizes the vehicle's position and provides assisting information corresponding to the position. Therefore, in order to assist effectively, it is essential for the assist system to detect the vehicle's position with high precision. So, we have been developing the detection method of vehicles with the radio wave marker sensor. The sensor can measure the positions of vehicles even in an environment with snow and water. This paper explains the outline of the assist system and the details of the detection method of the vehicles, and shows the validity of this method with results from experiments and simulations.

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The purpose of this study is to analyze human pilot behavior at landing operation and compare the results. The pilot model is constructed using neural network, and is trained with the results of the simulator tests. The structure of neural network is determined by GA. The inputs to this model are observation cues such as the horizon and the runway, and pilot control inputs. The outputs are the control column angle and the engine throttle angle. Finally, the importance of each input is evaluated using Contribution Ratio Analysis and Sensitivity Analysis from the obtained neural network models. We analyzed the data of veteran pilots and newcomer pilots, and compared the result.

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In this paper, the method of detecting vehicles located around host vehicle is presented. With cameras having different fields of view, a surrounding map that represents the positions of vehicles around host vehicles, is generated. Our method generate surrounding map contains new algorithms. By taking driver's intention into accounts, the threshold parameters of detection algorithms are adapted. Therefore detection tendencies for miss detection and fault detection are changing depend on situations that are considered by driver's criterion.

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This research deals with the evaluation method of HMI for driver using facial temperature as a vital reaction. At first, we examined face temperature change in video appreciation and mental arithmetic. As a result, it is shown that there is a possibility to evaluate the mental stress using the face temperature. Next, we took the experiment on driving simulator. It is shown that there is a possibility to evaluate the mental stress. We examined the influences of sunlight are checked because of the reliability of the results. As a result, the influences are possible to eliminate by using of the relative temperature of the forehead and the nose part, in the same way to eliminate surrounding temperature. Finally, we took the experiment in driving condition in real vehicle. From this result it is possible to evaluate to mental stress at the real driving condition. Therefore, it can be proposed that the mental stress of a driver has been evaluated using this method.

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The drivers on the road always recognize obstacles when driving, also observing parked vehicle on the shoulder, or actions of the vehicles in front. At this time while driving, the mental load on the driver is larger than the physical load. In this report, we examine the psychological load on the driver by observing the biological reactions of sweating, heartbeats rate and blood flow.

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This study deals with an evaluation method for mental workload using the heart rate variability, especially for the RSA. RSA as an index of mental workload has to be considered to the effect of both frequency and volume of the respiration. In this study, as we need to remove the effects to improve the precision of evaluation, we consider the relationship between RSA and respiratory volume in one cycle of natural respiration. At the result, it is found that the effect of these factors is canceled. Finally, it is shown that there is a possibility to evaluate the mental work load by using of this method.

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On steering characteristics of the average driver in the normal operation condition, the behavior of support to the steering wheel greatly influenced in this was analyzed. To begin with, it investigated actual condition on the support form the steering wheel in a general road and a expressway. This result showed that the one-hand support was frequent. Next. the steering force in supporting by various support means was measured on the expressway in the straight running. The steering power was calculated from these result, and on steering wheel support means, the comparison examination was carried out.

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We studied the maneuverability of in-vehicle touch panel hierarchical menus. As the number of response increases, the required time to obtain the goal increases. So an increase in depth or breadth increases the goal acquisition time. We tried to investigate the tradeoff between these two variables. The experiment to acquire the goal was performed using our driving simulator. Breadth (the number of choices) varied from two to sixty-four, while depth (the number of menu levels) varied from one to six. As a result four different hierarchical combinations b2^d6,b4^d3,b8^d2,b64^d1 are possible. Based on the goal acquisition time, in-car glance time, deviation from traffic lane, error rate and evaluation of subjects, B4^d3 was found to be the best for in-vehicle touch panel followed by b8^d2.

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A lot of container cranes received damage by the Hyogoken-Nyogoken-Nanbu earthquake, which had been generated in 1995. A typical damage form is that the top of column received damage caused by the uplifting of base of container crane. The design becomes complex and difficult when there is behavior of the rocking, and the possibility that the container crane receives large damage is high Authors paid attention in this damage form, and examined influence which difference of condition that container crane is set up gives to response of container crane by the numerical simulation. As a result, it turned out the axial force generated in column was increased 10%-20% by the influence of the pier.

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In this paper, we show the characteristics of fluctuated stresses acting on the boom of the rough terrain crane operated at a job site. We conducted a stress measurement with a crane used at an equipment storage site of a construction company. Three main factors for fluctuated stresses are picked up. They are the change of posture for readiness, the change of posture during a work and shocks by the change of motion. Large stress fluctuation amplitude is caused mainly by the change of posture, and its emergence frequency is low.

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We measured the stresses at 20 points on the boom of an actual rough terrain crane through some typical crane movements and investigated the feature of fluctuated stresses and histograms of the stress amplitudes. In many cases, the value of large stress amplitudes observed in same kind of movements is proportinal to weight of loading mass. The stress amplitudes caused by the bending vibrations of boom are not so large except the amplitudes observed in the cases which crane movements fast.

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The experiment was carried out to obtain the load and stress spectra of an actual rough terrain crane of 25 tons maximum capacity, travelling with the load. Strain gauges were glued to twenty points of the main members of box jib, apart from the stress concentrated points. The hydraulic pressure of jib suspending cylinder was recorded simultaneously to calculate the dynamic load of the suspended weight. Crane was travelled on the 19 mm or 50 mm level gapped ground. It was observed that the stress in case of the load were suspended parallel to the travel driection was smaller than suspended to the perpendicular to the travel direction.

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The aim of this research is to develop a vision-based protective device for collision avoidance between moving machines and personnel. This paper proposes a method using multiple omni-directional vision sensors (ODVSs) for collision prediction of mobile objects. This method uses tracking system with multiple ODVSs developed by Prof. Ishiguro at Osaka Univ. and the idea of protected zones which is described in report of the project about a vision-based protective device by The Japan Machinery Federation (JMF). The protected zones consist of warning zone and stop zone. The possibility of collision is predicted based on the protected zones which are created according to the shape of moving object. The shape is calculated by azimuths from different ODVS.

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In order to prevent the collision between human and autonomous moving-machines within a human-machine cooperation system in flexible automation manufactory, image sensing method by using stereo cameras is proposed. Firstly, the application method of image sensor to safety control is discussed. Then the principle of stereo camera, image segmentation based on disparity image. 3D measurement and the extraction method for objects are explained. Finally, for the wide work area and various kinds of multiple objects, the method for integrating information from multiple stereo cameras is proposed.

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Considering about points of design engineer's view, whose ethics and safety measure of the risk assessment must be planed, the thought of the absolute safety isn't internationally general. The Construction of social system should be grappled with by the govemment, the industrial and the academic circles. It lacks the certification system to make the responsibilities for product liability and explanation. The neutral third certification body is need like the West. Connecting with design engineer's responsibility at the working accidents, the new structure of insurance with the suitable incentive must be produced. I hope that the safety technology in the future in Japan will be adapted with wisdom and excellent technology to the international current, shown at the unique field, and connected into the technological innovation and incubation.

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The use of a bus system in multi-purpose control systems is already a common practice. However, in Japan the word "safety" means safety education and hardware devices, and hard-wired processes. In Europe safety PLC was developed in 1990 and the world-first bus system, SafetyBUS p system, was developed in 1997 both by Pilz GmbH. The development of this safety bus system spurred the making of safety bus system for larger plants. SafetyBUS p has already been made a defacto standard in European automotive industry. With SafetyBUS p as a platform, devices for optical data transmission device, robot, light curtain, and positioning have already been connected, and the connection of wireless and many I/O devices have started as well.

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The fee rate of labour insurance was normally estimated by the type of each industries. However, the safe level was different even in the same industry at another enterprises. The new method for quantitatively calculating the risk for each production line was proposed for that porpose. This method evaluated the risk by considering the accident occurrence probability, the severity, the frequency coefficient, the effectiveness of safe measure, etc...

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In late years an activity to use a stepladder for is limited. It is because fall accident occurs a lot. However, there don't become a few disasters only in a regulation. Examination of past disaster instance and Prior risk evaluation is important. In this paper, suggests new support system for high place work. This system don't demand safety level maintenance from worker.

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This paper describes reliability & safety of power reed switch and application for elevator. The power reed switch can exhibit just such failure characteristics when it does fail making it a good candidate on the evaluation index for reliability. It has become a key element in the most stringent category of safety control systems due to the switch offering very high non-contact reliability and fail-safe operation in even the harshest industrial environments subject to electrical surge and noise. This is also currently highlighted in the paper "Standardization about the Safety Equipment and Safety System" where the Nippon Electric Control Equipment Industries Association (NECA) is advancing as a standard authorization research and development enterprise of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

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The "community car" has been attracting attention as a transportation vehicle aimed at increasing the comfort of and convenience of daily life in the 21st century. In addition, the spread of "silver vehicles, " marketed mainly for elderly people, has been notable recently. It is expected that the demand for small electric automobiles will increase yearly, and the development of increasingly value-added products is expected. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of active seat suspension when it is applied to small cars and the problems associated with its practical use. A small active seat suspension was designed for one-seater electric automobiles. In an actual driving test, a test road with level difference was prepared and control performance of vertical vibrations of the seat surface for trangent states was examined.

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The purpose of this study is to establish the concrete plan for the improvement of electric wheelchairs. Wheel vibration effects the comfort of the people using the chair, the conditions of the road give different kinds of effects to the users. This research examines the result of a vibration's transmission characteristics by calculating the vibration of the seat surface and the movement of the user's head when they side on asphalt, brick, and stone surface.

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Nowadays, the numbers of traffic accidents caused by the aged driver are increasing. To reduce such accidents, we have developed a micro electric vehicle which is based on the study of the aged driver's characteristics and whose maximum velocity is low. This paper describes effects on the traffic by the vehicle. We asked several people including the aged driver to use the vehicle for about two weeks for the purpose of collecting their impressions. We also drove slowly in order to examine the acts of following drivers by the use of digital video recorders. Results clarified that 30km/h is suitable velocity for the whole traffic.

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All products are for the average people, elderly person with or without assistant, handicapped person. But, special-designed products, especially for the operational panel, are made for handicapped people or elderly people. But these differences should be eliminated. We developed New SPACEL_<TM> with universal design in these circumstances. We designed a new man-machine interface model through human technology. Interviews and trial designs were done many times. We adopted large buttons, raised characters with 2-tone of colors, etc. Moreover, the layout of operational panel in a car is upright of stagger positioning in accordance with the total number of floors.

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The driving conditions of urban transit buses were investigated with a chartered bus. As a result, the series hybrid electric power system was thought to be the most suitable for transit buses from the viewpoint of the acceleration performance and the energy saving. Further, in order to estimate the improvement of acceleration performance and the effect of energy regeneration, the dynamometer bench tests were carried out.

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In the provinces, public transportation systems are not well maintained and residents usually drive their car for travel inside the city. However, inner-city public transportations are indispensable to elderly persons having difficulty in driving cars. Considering to the medical health care in an aged society, priority must be given to the issue how to prepare public transportation services to hospitals. This paper discusses the optimization problem in deciding bus routes for a university hospital. The authors decided the optimal route using the actual data of places where patients live. Then the effectiveness of the presented optimal bus route is examined using the proposed evaluation index.

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In underpopulated areas, to keep route bus system gets harder and elderly people may lose their mobility. The authors proposed a new public transport system to secure the mobility of elderly people. The feasibility of the system is discussed through a simulation, and the possibility of user's acceptance of the system is investigated through the real world experiment in Takanosu. The system is effective especially underpopulated areas.

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