Mechanism Design Learning from Living Things (Associate Professor YAMADA Yasuyuki, Department of Engineering and Design, Faculty of Engineering and Design)

My name is YAMADA Yasuyuki from the Department of Engineering and Design, Faculty of Engineering and Design. My research focuses on how to solve problems by focusing on the design of mechanisms (mechanisms) that physically constitute the relationship between objects and their movements. Recently, software technologies such as AI and big data are often discussed, but I aim to solve fundamental problems of entire systems by researching and developing hardware, especially mechanisms. My research interests range from high heels to space rockets.

Peristalsis and Robots?

This may sound a bit strange, but even if you ate or drank heavily the day before, it will be digested and come out the next day, right?　This seems obvious, but it is due to a very amazing biological function. The intestinal tracts of humans and other organisms are equipped to mix and transport objects by sending waves of peristalsis. On the other hand, in a typical factory, mixing and conveying of various raw materials and products is done with screws or pistons. With these methods, it is technically extremely difficult to continuously transport high-viscosity objects such as honey, bean paste, bread dough, and cheese. Therefore, we are conducting research and development to see if it is possible to reproduce peristalsis, the amazing ability of the intestinal tract of living organisms, using soft robots, which are air-powered soft robots, to efficiently transport such objects, even in factories. This enables continuous transport and mixing of objects that are several times stickier than honey.

Award Details

The award-winning research this time is the result of examining the possibility of using this peristaltic apparatus to knead and transport and manufacture fuel for space rockets, and to transport soil and sand at construction sites. There are various problems in industry where sticky material cannot be mixed or transported, but we are first taking on the challenge of higher hurdles such as rockets.

Introduction of Laboratory: Mechanism Design Laboratory

In order to solve various contemporary social issues, we believe that it is essential to have a viewpoint of designing what is truly necessary and sustainable for the environment and society, rather than just adapting or abusing advanced technology. In our laboratory, we place importance on the design of mechanisms and promote research and development of solutions to various problems. Much of human activity is sensory, and consists of interactions with people and the environment. We focus on the hardware that physically mediates this interaction and the mechanisms that create its movement. To this end, we are exploring the relationships among "form, structure, and movement" of all mechanisms, and researching and developing mechanisms that create harmony, diversity, and robustness of the entire system, including humans and the surrounding environment.

Mechanism Design and Online Education in the Corona Era

One of the unique features of the Department of Engineering and Design is the abundance of project-based and laboratory classes. This is because we believe that by doing so, students can actually use and acquire knowledge by practicing it, rather than just learning it from a desk. However, due to coronary infection control, I have been forced to position my classes as primarily online. Since the mechanisms I study deal with physical objects, it is difficult to put everything online, whether in basic or applied courses. I believe that students will have a better understanding of the mechanism if they have seen and touched the actual object. Therefore, we are trying to provide education using videos that integrate technology and design (YouTube MD Lab. at Hosei Univ.). We are trying to increase learning opportunities for students by distributing videos of content that would normally be demonstrated in class.

We are convinced that research and development of mechanisms is necessary, but we believe that the key to the future development of this field will be the extent to which such hardware research, development, and education can be conducted online and through telework.

• Photograph and diagram of a peristaltic pump. The outer black part is a pneumatic artificial muscle, to which compressed air is fed in a controlled manner to generate the same peristaltic motion as that of the intestinal tract to mix and convey various materials.