In engineering education, the specialized books and the technical documents are used as reference materials and are often perceived as difficult to understand by the beginning students at engineering. Home appliances are considered to be of interest to beginning students because they are familiar to them, and they have opportunities to use them themselves. Therefore, we have used the home appliances (especially IH stoves) as "the teaching materials" in classes for first-year students at engineering universities, who are beginning engineering students, and as science events for children, explaining disassembly and mechanisms. In particular, the comparison of products with the same specifications and manufacturer but different sales years has proven to provide not only engineering learning but also learning necessary for engineers in companies, such as marketing and cost concepts.

The Approved Program for Mathematics, Data science and AI Smart Higher Education: literacy level, which based on the Japanese government AI strategy 2019 was started from 2021 and most College of Technology was approved. Accordingly, Kobe City College of Technology refined the Fundamentals Information Technology subject for all department first grade student to including data handling by using the programming language Python. On the other hand, many students in department of mechanical engineering who wants to learn standard mechanical engineering may have little motivation to learn Python. The purpose of this study is developed teaching materials for model array manipulation in open source 3D CAD using Python and practice in class to increase Python learning motivation for students. In addition, if student have opportunity to do modeling array manipulation with 3D CAD, it could be approach to interest in Additive Manufacturing (AM) and mechanical meta-material.

In Japan, from the perspective of overcoming many issues such as a declining birthrate and aging population, rural depopulation, and labor shortages, we aim to create a society that realizes Society 5.0, a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space. In the Department of Engineering, we aim to help engineers acquire AI skills by creating a place to learn the fusion of informatics, which makes full use of ICT technologies such as IoT and AI, and mechanical engineering, which enables manufacturing in real space. KAIT-QV, an AI autonomous driving educational material using a 1/10 scale model vehicle, has been developed as a comprehensive educational material to enable students to learn the integration of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence in a practical manner. In addition, hands-on seminars and competitions were held to support understanding of AI and motivation to learn. This paper describes the development of the KAIT-QV and the effectiveness of its use in competitions.

The advancement and spread of AI require mechanical engineers to master AI technology. Autonomous driving races using model cars were held as a place to learn about the integration of mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. Autonomous vehicles can run at high speeds only when mechanical, control, and AI performance are all combined. In this study, we measured and modeled the individual performance of the machine, control, and AI to determine the impact of changes in individual performance on overall driving performance. This method is expected to contribute not only to the understanding of machines, controls, and AI, but also to the development of high-performance vehicles.

We held experiential education using an autonomous robot car (JetBot) equipped with a single-board computer (Jetson Nano) for electrical and electronic engineering university students to understand the outline of image recognition and equipment control using AI. Students experienced controlling equipment to perform basic autonomous operations such as collision avoidance, object detection, tracking, and automatic driving operations. They also learned the basics of machine learning and deep learning mechanisms and equipment control. We summarized the results obtained through these experiential learning activities. Future challenges and prospects were reported.

Although automated driving has been implemented in society in recent years, there are concerns about the technical capabilities and safety of such a system before it can be used in actual vehicles. This is because it has not yet been possible to implement an automated vehicle that will never cause an accident. This means that there are two options for an accident that occurs momentarily: stop or avoid. However, there remain concerns about the cost and safety of verifying this in an actual vehicle. Therefore, this paper presents a simulation that can implement avoidance behavior．

In higher education, PBL (Project Based Learning) is being conducted to meet demand for substantiation of learning and to provide leaners with general-purpose abilities. Especially in the field of engineering, PBL that simulates product development is being conducted. On the other hand, there are some cases in which leaners fail to archive the learning objectives in the PBL at the authors’ organization. In this study, we examine the practical approach and propose measures for improvement.

In recent years, cargo transport robots have gradually been introduced worldwide, demonstrating significant efficacy in transportation and support services. It should be noted, however, that most of these results can be attributed to robots designed for businesses, and that examples of their implementation for the general consumer market are exceptionally rare. In the future, the emergence of consumer-tailored mobility solutions could unlock the full potential of these transportation robots, allowing them to benefit a wide range of people around the world. To address this possibility, we worked to develop a transportation robot that can reach not only the university campus but also nearby facilities. A user-friendly system was implemented to accommodate individuals from various backgrounds. After extensive use by various individuals, it has been confirmed that the robotics' efficiency is almost on par with that seen in the corporate sector. This positive result highlights the wider societal impact and usefulness of such technology, extending beyond corporate applications.

Many museums offer guided tours and demonstrations for children. However, the contents are related to "physics" and "chemistry". Also, workshops are held as a place to learn "manufacturing", but it is rare to reach "engineering" from there, and I think it is an issue. The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is a place to exhibit "engineering." Taking advantage of this feature, we tried a "Children's Guided Tour" to draw interest in "Engineering" among the younger generation. As a result, the following issues were particularly highlighted. First, there is a large variation in basic knowledge, and it is difficult to match the level of explanations. And there is a big difference in the willingness of the participants. In the future, we will continue to make improvements based on the trial results and practice methods that will be accepted by even younger generation.

Today's school education requires learner-centered classes based on the promotion of active learning. On the other hand, many students enrolled in university teaching courses cannot escape one-sided guidance and indoctrination. This article focuses on the ease, theatricality, and interactivity of panel theater, which has traditionally been used in settings such as early childhood education, childcare, and special needs education. During the teacher training course, the author conducted a workshop to develop panel theater teaching materials for subject instruction. We will introduce panel theater teaching materials created by engineering students aiming to become teachers of mathematics, science, technology, industry, information, nutrition, etc., and talk about the characteristics of the teaching materials and future challenges. Many of the works included visual learning tasks to make them easier to understand, and compared to panel theater works aimed at early childhood education and lower grades, the content was often manipulated by the learners themselves. In the future, it is expected that he will utilize his experience in developing panel theater teaching materials to create teaching materials that utilize ICT and to teach classes that emphasize dialogue.

This paper investigates keywords in proceedings of engineering education sessions. We focus on conferences held by Technology and Society Division (TSD) of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) from 2015 to 2022 and the annual conferences held by the Japan Society for Engineering Education (JSEE) from 2018 to 2022. Both organizing sessions and general sessions of JSEE conferences are referred. This paper infers the content of presentations based solely on lecture keywords. It seems that there are many presentations focused on "Educational methods"' such as "PBL" and "Active learning" at the annual conference of the Japan Society for Engineering Education. Therefore, it is valuable opportunity for gaining knowledge of educational methods which are common to engineering in general. On one hand, many presentations to be made on topics that delve into education in specialized subjects of mechanical engineering at the technology and society division lectures of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. This is important for discussing educational issues specific to each specialized subject in mechanical engineering.

One of the challenges in vocational education in the manufacturing field is the maintenance and enhancement of learners' motivation. In do-it-yourself (DIY) activities, individuals take an active role, proactively seeking information for design and production, and engaging in hands-on craftsmanship. Moreover, they have a clear understanding of their current level of skill proficiency, which leads to relatively high self-assessment of the final product's quality. Since this assessment also encompasses the narrative or "story" of the crafting process, it is believed that satisfaction is elevated. This study contemplates the impact of learner autonomy in the context of skill education and how instructors can foster it.

In this study, we investigated and analysed issues related to the working environment and wages for employment of people with disabilities, particularly in the context of cooperation between agriculture and welfare. We also examined the possibility of a new business collaboration using the onshore seaweed farming technology developed by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of the Ryukyus. As a result, we proposed a sustainable social business model by building a cooperative system that introduces new stakeholders to the business model, where it has been difficult for people with disabilities to participate.

Model pulse tube refrigerator was made by plastic syringe, silicone tubes, tube joints, plastic tube, and steel wool. 100 reciprocations of syringe cause approximately 3 or 4 K-of temperature reduction in cold end heat exchanger. The reciprocation is operated by hands. The temperature reduction can be recognized by hand without some kinds of temperature measurements. However, the principal of pulse tube refrigerator which explains the effects of parts’ shapes and operating condition on the refrigeration capacity has been difficult to find out. It is also difficult to explain the reason why the refrigeration occurs when whole of model pulse tube cooler body is uniformly room temperature. When virtual expansion space is defined by both stroke volume of actual piston and distribution of volume in pulse tube refrigerator, product of the virtual stroke volume and pressure differences calculated as Newton fluid suggests refrigeration capacity. Compared with aforementioned model pulse tube cooler, magnitude of calculated refrigeration capacity is reasonable.

Due to the spread of television, video games, and cell phone games, an increasing number of students are entering high school and university without having had sufficient exposure to real physical phenomena. As a means of improving engineering education, the authors have created various educational materials, such as a tool for “Taketombo” as a simple way to experience physical phenomena using an FDM 3D printer, a simple mechanical experiment tool, and a simple model of a gearbox for design and drafting tasks that have been difficult to materialize. We have created a variety of educational materials, such as a simple model of a gearbox for design and drafting assignments that have been difficult to materialize. Some of these educational materials are not well understood by the students only in terms of mechanical structure, and some of them do not attract their interest. Therefore, the authors have been trying to enhance the educational effect by extending the functions of small single-board devices such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi to the extent that teachers who do not specialize in control engineering or robotics can use them.

Preventing frailty in the elderly is an urgent issue. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is requesting local governments to promote integrated implementation of insurance business and nursing care prevention using the National Health Insurance database. Kanagawa Institute of Technology has been commissioned by Atsugi City to carry out a frailty prevention class project as a nursing care prevention project. The project consists of holding frailty prevention classes for 3 years in each of the 10 districts in Atsugi City, and providing periodic functional evaluations related to locomotive syndrome and exercise guidance based on the three principles of frailty prevention, recreation, and lectures.

This paper proposes a video generation application with compensation for an audiovisual information. The system receives a presentation file containing narration texts as input data and generates a video file as output data in which a CG agent explains the content of the presentation. In the generated video, the CG agent explains the content of the presentation using voice and gestures, and subtitles of the spoken texts and keywords are displayed in synchronized with the explanation. These functions compensate for visual and auditory accessibility. Using the video generation function of this system, we attempted to produce a DVD to be distributed to family associations, support center organizations, and community supporters who are engaged in higher brain dysfunction support.

We measured the vibrations of the Danjiri (Festival Floats) during parade at the Ueno Tenjin Festival. "Danjiri event of the Ueno Tenjin Festival" was designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 2002, and it was registered to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of “Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan" in 2016. Some Danjiri have vibrations due to the deterioration of it, therefore they need to be repaired. Shaking of the Danjiri during its parade were measured by acceleration sensor. It was found that a large amount of shaking was generated when the Danjiri changed direction using a lever. And, vibrations at roof of the Danjiri were also caused by uneven road surfaces. Additionally, it found that the brace attached to the Danjiri are effective in reducing shaking acceleration.

Aircraft flying by mechanical power have developed since the first flight by Wright Brothers in 1903. During the 1930s and 1940s, many types of aircraft were developed and manufactured around the world. Accompanying this trend, pilots of aircraft are required to have piloting skills suitable for their purposes. According to the contents described in the " Pilot notebook " used for the training and education of aircraft pilots before and during the World War II in Japan, this paper introduces the training records on the maneuvering skills required for aircraft pilots at that time.

Elevators and escalators are indispensable equipment that are considered one of the important infrastructure for vertical transportation in buildings, stations and so on. More than 100 years have passed since modern elevators and escalators were introduced, and they are still being developed with unique features according to the country or region. On the other hand, because they are familiar equipment to the ordinary citizens, various accidents have occurred so far. Therefore, this paper focuses on two European countries, the United Kingdom and Italy, and reports the elevator and escalator technologies and their accidents in each country. Regarding in the United Kingdom, elevators and escalators in the London subway system is introduced. A major fire in a subway station which was caused by a fire on a wooden step of an escalator occuered in 1987. Regarding in Italy, elevators and escalators are introduced from the viewpoint of the characteristics caused by the Italian land, and the escalator accident in a subway station in Rome in 2018 is introduced.

When the authors started developing car air conditioner there still were “Car coolers”. From the early stages of its spread, it was derived from two specifications. One is that users take it to the dealer and retrofit it after the car is delivered, and the other is that are incorporated during factory assembly. The era has these two specifications continued for a relative long time. After it became standard equipment on all cars, manual and automatic systems have been coexisted. One-box cars and commercial vehicles were equipped with rear air conditioners and/or cooler boxes. Luxury cars controlled left and right independently and came with various optional equipment such as seat heaters, steering wheel heaters, and so on. During this time, the refrigeration cycle itself was improved and energy saving progressed. However, in order to install it in EVs, there seem to be issues with the capacity of the heater source compared to gasoline engine vehicles. In this paper, we would like to look out what future car air conditioner can and must do.

The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers began recognizing mechanical engineering heritage in 2007, as one of its projects to commemorate the 110th anniversary. Mechanical Engineering Heritage is important for modern society in realizing how machines has impacted our society . The 2023’s certification includes the Goto Planetarium Type M-1, which is the oldest operating planetarium in Japan, the Odakyu Limited Express Romancecar SE3000, which provided technical information related to the Shinkansen, and the A Pharmaceutial Millstone Driven by human which crushes medicinal herbs by hoot step. Treadwheel at the former Wachusanhompo and Historical Machine Tools and “The SANKYO Machine Tools Museum”, which collects and exhibits valuable machine tools since the industrial revolution of the 17th century, has been certified. This report provides an overview and describes the characteristics of each legacy in terms of the history of mechanical technology and its influence on society.

In October 2022, Japan's railways will celebrate 150 years in operation. Currently, a project to analyze and record the history of the railways, both in terms of management and technology, and preserve it as an authentic history is underway. The author is participating in this project as a member of the editorial board and introduces these activities in this paper.

In Japan, automatic train operation has a longer history than other modes of transportation, having been tested since the Osaka Expo Monorail in the 1970s. Japan was the first country in the world to put unmanned automatic train operation to practical use in 1981 with the new transit systems in Kobe and Osaka, but it must be said that Japan has been lagging behind in recent years. This paper discusses the history of unmanned automatic operation of railways, organized by its architecture, as well as the global situation and progress in Japan.

With the knowledge of aeronautical engineers who moved to the railway industry at the end of the war and the technology transfer from developed countries, the development for weight reduction and speed of railways accelerated. Since 1951, the Ministry of Transport, JNR, JARi and manufacturers have developed technology development schemes, and new technologies such as tension shell structures and cardan drives have been pioneered by private railway companies, and their know-how has been accumulated and shared.

In 1954, aeronautical engineers of Tokyu Car broke the unwritten rule of straight contour in the railway industry and developed curved contour that was described as an "airplane without wings" in the high-speed ultralight train Tokyu 5000 series .

In this study, focusing on the development history of the cross-sectional shape of the car body, we will clarify that the eggshell Curved Monocoque, which is the "revolutionary and innovative design concept" of the Tokyu 5000 series, was adopted as the Odakyu 3000 , JNR 151 series , and JNR 0 series, and came to fruition as the world's first high-speed railway.-

In this report, short history and technological significance of former Sagami Railway’s diesel-electric railcar will be explained. These four railcars were the first homemade railway vehicles in Japan, and had multiple unit controllable function. Main engine fitted out this railcar’s under flame was German-made; 90kW, Junkers two-stroke-cycle. In the railcar’s body construction, light-weight design was introduced and total weight was 17.5t in working order. Contents of this report are as follows; 1) Short history of introduction of Japan’s diesel railcars, 2) Production of multiple unit controllable diesel railcars, 3) Conclusion and significance of technological history on this diesel-electric railcar.

Since 2020, STEAM education has been spreading in Japan. Taiwan has been working on STEAM education for more than 10 years and earlier than Japan. After the covid-19, I visited two Taiwanese junior high schools for the first time in three and a half years. I also saw junior high schools in rural areas in central Taiwan (Douliu, Lunbei in Yunlin), which are not in urban areas, enthusiastically working on STEAM education. Both schools were equipped with digital fabrication equipment such as 3D printers and laser processing machines. Local university professors were also seen providing technical support. This visit survey provided many suggestions for the promotion of STEAM education in Japan.

Industrial products such as home appliances and automobiles etc. are composed of many parts with various functions and assembled with a lot of threaded screw joints. Aiming to develop teaching materials in the "Materials and Processing Technology" section of the junior high school technology classes, we provided university students with hands-on experience in selecting materials and processing methods from the viewpoint of STEAM education in the "Metal Working and Practice" specialized subject in the metal processing field at the Department of Technology Education in the Faculty of Education.

Since 2020, STEAM education has been spreading in Japan. We developed a coffee roaster as a teaching material for STEAM education. The design and manufacture process of coffee roasting machines includes many Technology and Engineering elements related to metalworking and mechanical engineering. Stirring green beans in a rotating body also requires knowledge of Science, such as centrifugal force and heat conduction from a gas stove. Mathematics is also included in the geometry of drilling a hole in the center of a rotating body and in the calculation of reduction gears. In addition, the overall design of the roasting machine includes elements of Art. We developed a compact coffee roaster with an open flame that is consistent from hopper loading to roasting completed.

STEAM education has been promoted in Japan in recent years, but it does not yet exist as a subject. The authors are investigating the possibility of introducing STEAM education in the subject "Information" in the regular high school course of secondary schools. In this report, we summarize the existing educational practices in the subject "Information" from the viewpoint of STEAM education.

In the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, second year university have experimental classes on basic items in the specialized fields of mechanical and electrical engineering in order to acquire the ability to link actual phenomena with theory. Introducing the implementation of a flipped classroom in the "Measurement of Mechanical Vibration," one of the themes of the experimental class. The purpose of this is for university students to be able to make measurements and observations in experimental classes and connect them with the theories they have learned in classroom lectures, and to be able to fully understand and consider report assignments.

As an action assignment for the project-based learning course in engineering department of Kanagawa Institute of Technology, space technology related challenge was used. This challenge included designing, analyzing, manufacturing and testing the BBM (bread-board model) of a particular capsule release mechanism which is similar to the one used to release the asteroid sample contained capsule to the earth from the space probe “Hayabusa2” in December 2020. The students are ordered to tackle this challenge satisfying given specification such as release translational velocity of the capsule, release angular velocity of the capsule, mass/size constraint of the capsule within cost limitation and schedule limitation of approximately in four months. To accomplish this project, subsystem teams such as capsule release mechanism subsystem team, capsule subsystem team and capsule motion measurement subsystem team as well as the project manager are organized. The release test of BBM was carried out by dropping the capsule from 3m altitude from the ground and the motion of the capsule is measured and evaluated. The result of several kinds of release mechanisms designed by the students in three years are presented and the educational achievements of this course including team building are shown.

In recent years, many students in electrical and environmental courses are familiar with the keyword "renewable energy," but do not fully understand, for example, the materials and structure of solar cells and the principles and characteristics of power generation. In response to this, we have conducted practical experiment using common equipment to fabricate solar cells and measure their characteristics, and have learned the fundamentals of solar cell and semiconductor device fabrication. A p-n junction was formed by doping P into a p-type Si substrate doped with B to create an n-type layer. In this process, doping was performed by forming a thin-film of PSG and then diffusing impurities through a thermal diffusion process. The characteristics of the solar cells were investigated by varying the amount of light exposure and diffusion time of impurities. Among the solar cells processed with thermal diffusion for 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 3 hours, the solar cell processed1 hour produced the highest amount of electricity. The amount of electricity generated can be checked by visually observing the rotation of the motor, in addition to measuring the electric power. Therefore, the characteristics of solar cells can also be understood sensitively. If workshops with a reduced level of difficulty are held for a wide range of people, many people will gain a more accurate understanding of photovoltaic power generation and semiconductor devices.

Japan is faced with a global warming and a depletion of fossil fuel. Nevertheless, we depend on importation from overseas for energy resources of petroleum etc. An application of natural power sources is hoped as one of the solutions to a problem. The natural power sources which we can exploit domestically, such as sunlight, solar heat, hydropower, wind force etc., do not emit a carbon dioxide at an electric power generation. In this research, we focus attention on the wind energy among the natural power sources.

We have examined the small wind turbine until now which can generate the power under the low wind speed at the low altitude through buildings. In this report, we introduce the "vertical axis wind turbine using wind-lens" which can be efficient and can generate power at a broad wind speed. The conventional straight-blade vertical axis wind turbine has a simple contexture, and a sound noise is small, and it has a high-power coefficient. However, compared with other vertical axis wind turbines, a wind strong to a starting up is needed. On the other hand, the wind-lens has the contexture which covers the perimeter of a wind turbine by the diffuser with a brim. Then, the pressure inside a wind-lens declines by the vortex which occurs back. A wind strong to a wind turbine comes to flow in as a result. In this research, we aim at improvement in a power generation efficiency by combining a wind-lens with a straight-blade vertical axis wind turbine.

The author proposes and attempts to popularize the concept of "history of the future". This paper is the third report, and describes about the relationship between "advocacy" and "Graduate School of Downtown". Our lives are based on the society of science and technology, i.e.,"technological conjunction''. In the society, especially in the application and operation of large-scale science and technology, we must take collective responsibility. That ethics is "ecoethica.'' In this article, it is introduced that the author’s organization of "Graduate School of Downtown'' is challenging against the current issues with the eyes of "history of the future", and is also working as an advocacy for unexplored technologies, through conjugating with other organizations, in order to leave a foundation for the future.

Foreign ships came into the territorial seas in the late Edo period forced the shogunate to revitalize the general plan for defending the country. Defending with cannons was planned as a strategic choice and manufacturing of cannons was promoted using the technology in that period. Material processing especially related to the manufacturing of cannons has already been studied in the series of research on material processing and manufacturing in that period. Structures were required by cannons deployed against the foreign ships. Those structures were mainly batteries called Daiba, including other fortifications. They were constructed on the sea and by the seashore all over the country. Components and system for defense are incorporated into the structures for defense and larger structures are composed based on their components and system. The aim of this paper is to research how the components of the structures for defense by deploying cannons had been composed.

The superconducting linear Chuo Shinkansen project being advanced by JR Tokai has begun construction, but there are many issues in terms of safety, security, and affordability, such as faults, water issues, quench phenomena, and construction transportation costs. Specifically, we will use the proven adhesive or steel wheel system to significantly reduce air resistance based on ultra-wide gauge and low vehicle height, and we will also develop a new standard for railway business with improved current collection, braking, and derailment prevention measures. We propose this and introduce its basic structure. Although this is primarily for JR Central, it will contribute to the basic concept when JR East, JR West, and JR Kyushu need a next-generation Shinkansen to replace the current Shinkansen. Therefore, it can also serve as a basic concept for the railway business as an export industry.

In recent years, companies are required to have high ethical standards. For this reason, not a few company employees participate in seminars and workshops inside and outside the company, such as corporate ethics, CSR (corporate social responsibility), compliance, and so on. However, on the other hand, misconduct and accidents by various companies occur almost every year. In order to explore the reasons for this, this paper will introduce "Cases where lessons cannot be learned" as seen from the historical background of Japan from the 16th century to the present.

In our contemporary, highly technologically driven society, the significance of science and technology cannot be overstated, as they have become integral components of both individuals' lives and society. Nonetheless, there are instances where science and technology can pose potential threats to both people and the broader society. We are well aware of historical issues like pollution, and concerns regarding the future implications of science and technology, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, have arisen. In this presentation, I will delve into the realm of engineering ethics. This field should not only centers on the conduct and responsibilities of engineers, who hold a pivotal role in ensuring the harmonious coexistence of science and technology with humanity and society, but also extends its focus to encompass the ethical considerations of non-professional who strive to create a more ideal society.