Division of
Human Mechanical Systems and Design
Introduction
1. Outline of the major
The establishment of engineering fields that create machines supporting human activities and health multidimensionally, directly related to the activities, life and living environments of humans, are highly anticipated in society and industries, with the hope of realizing safe and reliable social environments. It is now more important than ever to accumulate the fundamental technologies for a "man-machine" system that is smart (accurate, meticulous, innovative, highly functional, intelligent, autonomous, limited secondary effects) and micro (operates whenever, wherever, is site-specific, distributed and localized) to establish creative design methodologies applicable to the development of machines that can learn from, travel with and adapt to humans. With an eye set on the arrival of the advanced human-centric society, we aim at fostering human resources who can support the activities, life and health of humans in order to maximize their degrees of freedom, creating a "man-machine" system and conducting the engineering research and development necessary for its realization. This course aims to conduct advanced research on "man-machine" systems that support new life and living by using bioengineering, robotics and control engineering, which are based on mechanical engineering, as well as offering specialized education related to these fields.
2. Scope of the course
Research Group of Biomechanics and Robotics
In the area of robotics and control engineering, we conduct research and development on smart robots and creative design systems that are based on human sensory and motor-control systems, human-collaborative mobile robots that can share roles with humans, adaptable robots whose safety and flexibility in association with collaborative works are emphasized, and mechanically controlled mobile robots. Additionally, we also study creative design systems and dynamics for mechanical systems that adapt to humans. In the field of bioengineering, we conduct basic research on anatomy and body movements that enable innovative functions via autonomous control, which is necessary for the research and development of the functional design of artificial organs and self-contained devices, and life-support welfare devices. We also conduct research and offer education in close collaboration with courses in Biorobotics and Microsystem. The goal of this course, through the use of micro-energy systems and smart mechanics, which are based on machine engineering, is to conduct research and development on "man-machine" systems that support new life and living, and provides specialized education related to these fields.
Research Group of Micromechanical Systems
In the area of micro-energy systems, we conduct basic research and equipment development on personal energy systems such as wearable micro-power sources, which fill the gap between existing batteries and engines, personal air-conditioning systems that control thermal environments of individual persons, and bubble-powered micro-cooling devices for high-heat flux cooling. In the field of smart mechanics, based on optimum design methods and micro-mechanics, we conduct research and development on the functional materials necessary for devices that support humans, such as internal-support micro smart stretchers and load-adaptive smart materials. We also study the space-design simulator that is based on the pattern-recognition of human activity senses, and on the creative design simulator that is based on the interaction between the collaborative behaviors of product mechanisms and control systems and humans. Additionally, we conduct research and offer education in close collaboration with courses in Energy, Mechanics and Biorobotics.
Research Group of Biomedical Simulation
We aim at fostering human resources who can diagnose diseases and consider possible surgery planning by reproducing a living human body in software, provide and conduct education and research activities on computer systems that are used to train doctors, and who will play leading roles in concerned fields. In particular, based on research in biomechanics such as methods of modeling the human body, the fluid dynamics of blood circulation, the solid mechanics of soft and hard tissues, and the dynamics of body motion, as well as in the image engineering of organ shapes, we conduct research and development on human-body simulators and on various medical diagnosis equipment based on such technologies.