A surface texture is an important factor that affects a product kansei quality. People perceive a quality of surface texture using different sensory modalities, e.g. vision and touch, and switches them through an interaction with a product, e.g., we see and then touch a product surface. Between such sensory modality transitions, we often expect subsequent modal perceptions using a prior modality, e.g. predicting tactile quality of a product from its appearance before touching. The authors assume that a disconfirmation between expectation using a modality and an experience using another modality affects a kansei quality as well as perceived experience through each modality. In this paper, we propose an evaluation method for a quality of surface texture with attention paid to the effects of a disconfirmation between prior visual expectation and posterior tactual experience. In the method, to find out the texture attributes contributing to such effect, we conducted a sensory evaluation experiment with combinations of visual and tactile texture samples that are synthesized using a half-mirror. We demonstrate the appropriateness of the method with analysis results using fourteen plastic texture samples having different textures, which are commonly used in a product design.

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While increasingly intense global competition is becoming seriously, the management of product quality, the improvement of productivity and the cost reduction are very important issues for a company. In the iron and steel industry, they demand to realize steady operation in the continuous casting process, which is one of important process of the steel manufacturing. The decision making to choose proper operation is important by understanding a current state of the steel and the equipment in the continuous casting process and predicting the condition in the future. However, the knowledge that is necessary for this decision-making is implicit knowledge of the skillful operating worker. Such operating knowledge will disappear along with the retirement of the skillful operating worker. Problems such as increase in the disaster by the dangerous behavior and decline in the productivity have been becoming serious. A skillful operating worker has a cognitive model (a continuous casting process model) of the casting process in the inside of the head. This research tried to define and describe their cognitive model with Petri-Net, and develops an operating decision making support system for the trouble avoidance using a reachable tree in this research. Using this system, we input the steel and equipment conditions of the accident occurrence that was reported in the accident and trouble report, and predict a trouble occurrence, and extract the operation to avoid a trouble.

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Mechatronics devices for help our activities of daily living have made our life easier. These devices that are used by the general public require safety and reliability. Additionally low acoustic noise and energy-saving performance are expected. In this paper, we describe our prototype of a manual control input device which can display resistance torque. The prototype equips magnetic particle brakes at each rotational joint in place of servo motors which are usually used for the force feedback function. The magnetic particle brakes provide the resistance torque that is proportional to the change in the excitation current passing through a coil of the element. The dynamics of the prototype are analyzed as a two link mechanism first, and then the self-weight compensation and the resistance torque display to assist manual control are implemented by appropriate actuation of the magnetic particle brakes. The proposed mechanism composed of magnetic particle brakes can support the operation of a mechatronics device passively and follow the intuition of the user.

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Manufacturing companies encounter many uncertainties in planning long-term strategies for making their business sustainable. As a decision-making tool in the business world, scenario writing is prevalent for exploring various business strategies by drawing various situations that might unfold in the future. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for supporting the design of scenarios for planning long-term business strategies. In this method, such scenarios are described using existing sustainability scenarios. The method intends to help companies' strategists describe business environments by reusing and extending descriptions of sustainability scenarios. A scenario about solar panel business is described using the proposed method. The results illustrate that the method succeeds in describing detailed business environments from an existing sustainability scenario, and finally, obtaining several business strategies based on the business environments. In addition, our method clarifies the logical structure of the scenario, thereby enabling to review rationales for deriving those business strategies.

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Optimal path design is a problem that is considered to have wide range of applications. In this study, we deal with a path design problem of a pattern that consists of a number of small pattern elements; a pattern consisting of characters or symbols is a typical example. In such a case, we can naturally introduce a kind of hierarchical structure to the problem. We develop an approach to this type of path design problem that takes advantage of the hierarchical structure. In order to avoid the degradation of the optimality of the solution due to the separation of the problem by means of the introduction of hierarchical layers, we utilize an abstraction of the paths of the small pattern elements that make up the entire pattern. A local optimization approach in order to reduce the computational cost is also proposed. Path design problems of patterns consisting of alphabet character patterns are dealt with as examples; the applicability and the performance of the proposed optimal path design approach are discussed.

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In this paper, we present a new thermo fluid simulation method by using reduced-order models, enabling large, real-time, detailed thermal flows with continuous user interaction. Our method is ideally suited for real-time simulation of high-resolution thermal fluid dynamics because our simulator is still fast even in the case of large problems expressed by using more than one million meshes. Our results indicate that one thousand times faster simulation can retain same level of accuracy as conventional methods. In addition, our method provides continuous user interaction in real-time. It allows that we can immediately assess how a thermal field changes when controlling air-conditioning equipment in a data center.

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Photovoltaic power generation (PV) for commercial use is installed in the building roof of communal facilities and industrial facilities, and remarkable growth in the future is foreseen. PV panels and mounting racks are affected by loads of wind, snow and earthquake etc, so it is important to the strength design that considers reliability. In this study, we were particularly focused on PV panel mounting racks (PV rack) for flat roof. We obtained wind loads to PV racks for flat roof from wind tunnel tests with scale model, and also quantified the strength reduction of the fastening part by screws from bending tests of steel, and proposed the strength design guideline of wind load. In addition, we studied structural design optimization for PV racks for flat roof, as a result, a new structure of rack for flat roof was obtained for achieving high reliability and low cost.

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We suggested a new design methodology for a multipurpose trade-off design and a risk management, called Total Design Management (TDM) in previous papers. TDM has two important concepts: “Set Based Design (SBD)“ and “Model Based Risk management (MBR)“. In SBD, designers firstly calculate the total set of design solutions and then narrow down the solutions complying with the design requirements or constraint conditions by a filtering method. SBD is very simple, transparent and practical process. In MBR, designers manage a design risk based on designers' non-confidence of the mathematical models which they make or calculate. In this paper, we report knowledge and lessons obtained from our rocket engine development that the TDM method was firstly applied. The rocket engine have completed the combustion tests satisfying required performances without any major problems in spite of the brand-new development in very short development period.

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Non-Gaussian response characteristics of an asymmetric nonlinear system subjected to nonwhite random excitation are investigated. Applying a previously developed analytical method, which contains moment equations method and non- Gaussian equivalent linearization technique, stationary responses are numerically computed. Non-Gaussian indicators i.e. skewness, kurtosis and equivalent linear coefficients which are defined by the 3rd and 4th order moments are considered to evaluate the non-Gaussianity of the responses. Skewness and kurtosis of the response in a family of the asymmetric parameter of the system and the dominant frequency of the excitation are plotted onto a diagram as the map of non- Gaussianity. The non-Gaussian map indicates the variation of the shape of probability density function. The equivalent linear coefficients are illustrated in the same way. These numerical results demonstrate the effects of the asymmetric properties of the system and the dominant frequencies of the excitation upon the non-Gaussian response characteristics.

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In order to improve a rehabilitation scheme of the hemiplegic upper limb after a stroke, it is necessary to develop the inspection system which can evaluate quantitatively myotonic symptoms and muscle stiffness in the hemiplegic upper limb. The resistance force generated by the muscle in the hemiplegic upper limb is noticeable in a fast passive motion. In the inspection of myotonic symptoms in the elbow, the target elbow should be moved quickly during passive flexion and extension. Then the resistance force during passive elbow flexion and extension can be measured by use of a load cell. In this paper, we develop the passive motion apparatus with safety features for the inspection of myotonic symptoms in the elbow. And we propose the scheme for quantitative evaluation of the myotonic symptoms in consideration of the inertia force due to the acceleration of the upper limb. Then the feasibility of the proposed system is verified through several inspections.

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In this paper, local polynominal regression is proposed as a metamodel for the optimal design. Local polynominal regression is often used for smoothing. Smoothing and approximation are applied for the different purpose, however these two methods are based on the similar theory. Therefore local polynominal regression is forecasted to be able to approximate functions. So the theory of local polynominal regression is extended to multivariate predictors for optimal design, and its effectiveness for approximation is verified. Next, more suitable optimization method that uses characteristics of local polynominal regression is suggested. Additionally, the comparison of local polynominal regression and other metamodels shows its features. As a result of the consideration, next four points are clarified. (1)LOESS that uses local quadratic regression and tricube weight function is most suitable for the approximation. (2)The metamodels based on local polynominal regression are able to use for the structural optimization and its characteristics are available for the optimization based on the gradient. (3)The accuracy of local polynominal regression is better than Kriging and RBF interpolation when the sample size is small. However, the property is reversed when the sample size is large. (4)The accuracy of local polynominal regression is better than Kriging and RBF interpolation when the response has noises. The fact shows local polynominal regression is suitable for the metamodel of montecarlo simulations and experiments.

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Passive walker can walk down gentle slope without actuator, sensor and control. This motion is attractive because its gait is natural. Passive walking may give us an insight into understanding human locomotion and developing biped robots. Passive walking with upper body has been studied by many researchers. The upper body is just a pendulum jointed around hip. In general, the upper body is kept by PD control or bisecting hip mechanism. While, we focus on a hip spring-damper mechanism for keeping upper body upright. In this paper, first, we model a passive walker that added upper body by means of a hip spring-damper mechanism. Secondly, we demonstrate that the passive walker with upper body can generate a stable limit cycle. Finally, the walking performance is evaluated from the stability of fixed point and energy efficiency.

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This paper proposes a detection method of tongue motions based on BEP signal around a frontal neck, which is used to control a support device for a quadriplegic patient. This method extracts some features of BEP signal that is measured by multiple array electrodes attached on a skin surface of a frontal neck. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) in the proposed method classifies the signal into six kinds of the tongue motions, since the SVM is a potent pattern recognition algorithm in weakly nonlinear system. We investigate the performance of the detection algorithm through the experiments and then confirmed that accuracy of all motions detection is more than 92%.

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In order to approximate nonlinear bearing vibration, Unscented Kalman Filter is applied to estimate unkown bearing parameters. In this note, firstly nonlinear two dimensional vibration equations are described including Meldau model, Yhland model and so on. Next we define the approximation problem in which the original nonlinear model is described by sinusoidal vibration. In order to simulate numerically, we discretize the continuous time model by using Euler- Maruyama method. And after the discretization, we apply Unscented Kalman Filter to estimate the state x including bearing parameters. Finally we confirmed the effectiveness of developed approximation by numerical simulation.

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As the substrates of semiconductor devices, silicon wafers are required to be highly flat in order to increase the integration density and the productivity of the devices. Especially edge roll off, which occurs during polishing process as the final stage of the wafer manufacturing and seriously deteriorates polished edge surface flatness, is strongly demanded to be diminished. However mechanism of generation of edge surface profile has yet to be clarified exactly, which makes it difficult to meet the demand. In this study, based on the elastic contact theory, a profile-generating model was proposed considering the effect of existing edge roll off on change in edge surface profile, concretely deterioration of flatness, improvement of flatness and convergence of profile. Based on the model, polishing pad with smaller deformation during polishing process was expected to be effective in achieving highly flat edge surface profile without edge roll off. Estimation of pad deformation and polishing experiments on silicon wafers confirmed that polishing pad with smaller deformation during polishing process achieved higher edge surface flatness.

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A new efficient fabrication method for an ordered metal nanodot array is developed by coupling nanoimprint method with a TiN thin-film mold and self-assembly of a metal thin-film due to thermal annealing. In this study, in order to develop a thin-film mold which possesses sufficient hardness and durability to use in the nanoimprint, we fabricate a TiN thin-film mold by the nano plastic forming, sputtering and electroplating processes. Using the fabrication method, TiN thin-film molds with different nanoscale surface structures can be developed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the lattice- and parallel-patterned grooves can be formed on a gold thin-film by the nanoimprint with the developed TiN thin-film molds. It is found that a well-ordered gold nanodot array can be efficiently fabricated on a quartz glass substrate by annealing the gold thin-film formed by the nanoimprint.

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