Volume 4, Issue 3, June 2025

Research Article

1.Realizing Variable Stiffness through Structures Designed for Quick Motion

Katsuaki Suzuki, Yuya Nishida, Kazuo Ishii

To expand a robot’s range of activities, we aim to realize three functions: normal motion, quick motion, and variable stiffness. In this study, we developed a method for realizing variable stiffness using a joint mechanism that can achieve normal and quick motions. Our analysis results confirmed that stiffness could be changed by adjusting the initial displacement of the spring incorporated in the joint mechanism. Furthermore, we manufactured a machine containing the proposed mechanism and evaluated the proposed method by comparing our theoretical and experimental results considering errors. Our findings showed similar trends between the measured and theoretical values with an error caused by friction between machine components.

Pages: 122-127

Research Article

2.Automated Food Quality Checking System

Ashraf Ali Jamal Deen, Thivagar Chettiar Sarawanan, Heshalini Rajagopal, Devika Sethu, Norrima Binti Mokhtar, Neesha Jothi

Ensuring food safety, hygiene, and health is crucial in tackling the issue of food wastage. Preserving the high quality of food necessitates vigilant checking and safeguarding against deterioration caused by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light. This research aims to develop a comparable tool for checking food quality, specifically focusing on environmental aspects like temperature, humidity, alcohol content, and light exposure for perishable items like fruits and vegetables. The system is constructed using an Arduino UNO microcontroller, which interfaces with various sensors like DHT-22 to track temperature and humidity, MQ3 to detect alcohol levels, and LDR to measure light exposure. The collected sensor data is transmitted to an IoT platform through an ESP8266 Wi-Fi Module. This IoT system serves to log and monitor the sensor data, enabling remote and real-time oversight of food storage conditions from any location and at any time.

Pages: 128-132

Research Article

3.Junior High School Rescue Robot Challenge to Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Yoshiaki Shoda, Kazuo Kawada, Keita Murai, Yuta Susawa, Hiroyuki Y. Suzuki

The “Junior High School Student Rescue Robot Challenge” is an annual activity organized by Hiroshima University in cooperation with a construction machinery manufacturer. The challenge has been running from 2008, with a theme of evacuating injured people from disastrous suite. The theme was given from organizer. In contrast, we had changed policy of the Challenge project from 2022 corresponding to newly emerging social issues. The theme of “The Challenge in 2022” was entirely run by the students, which includes from proposing of the problem to be solved in disaster-stricken areas, to finding solutions by making prototype rescue robot by modifying remote-controlled excavator model of 1/14 scale. Evaluation points by judges also updated. Ten teams of junior high school students were participated in the challenge 2022. They could set distinctive theme and tried to resolve the problem positively and proactively modifying and attaching unique parts to the excavator.

Pages: 133-138

Research Article

4.Research on the Simulation of Chemical Reactors Utilizing the PCS7 Platform

Hongshuo Zhai

The rapid development of industrial control and its systems since the 1960s has been mainly due to the remarkable progress of key process control theories, which are increasingly used in the field of science and technology. Often, there are multiple potential risks in a factory environment, so people tend to use remote and precise control methods. This study using PCS7 remote control software to simulate the chemical reactor process, and through the PID adjustment to ensure the rationality of the results of simulation and accuracy.

Pages: 139-145

Research Article

5.Identifying Industrial Control Systems Anomalies Operation Based on Finite-State Machines

I-Hsien Liu, Pei-Wen Chou, Nai-Yu Chen, Jung-Shian Li

I During 2021, a facility responsible for treating water in Florida, USA, experienced a cyberattack orchestrated by external malicious entities. These attackers sought to tamper with the levels of certain chemicals in an attempt to compromise the integrity and safety of the water supply. Recognizing the complexity of detecting abnormal operations in Industrial Control Systems (ICS), we sought to leverage the benefits of finite-state machine technology to address this challenge. To evaluate our approach, We performed a series of assessments utilizing the cybersecurity testbed for dam control systems developed by TWISC@NCKU in Taiwan. Research results show that improved detection of irregular operational behaviors, empowering maintenance staff to swiftly pinpoint anomalies.

Pages: 146-149

Research Article

6.Robotics Education for Elementary and Junior High School Students Using Beauto Balancer

Youta Takano, Kenji Kimura

In recent years, it has become necessary to use programming in controlling robots. However, there are few educational materials for elementary and junior high school students to understand and be interested in the concepts of programming and control engineering. In the previous study, we planned an educational program using "Beauto Balancer2," an educational robot developed by Vstone Corporation, to explain the mechanism of inverted control and to allow students to actually touch the robot, so that they can experience various technologies including control engineering and become interested in mathematical subjects in general, which are the basis of these technologies. The educational program was planned so that students could experience various technologies including control engineering through hands-on experience with robots and develop an interest in mathematical subjects in general. In addition, a craft class was conducted and evaluated using the results of questionnaires. In this study, mock classes were conducted using the existing software for educational robots created in the previous study, and comparisons and verifications were made by focusing on three persons with similar characteristics.

Pages: 150-157

Research Article

7.Conceptual Dictionaries for Adjective Concepts and Adjective Verb Concepts in an Integrated Narrative Generation System

Jumpei Ono, Takashi Ogata

In our narrative generation study, we chiefly use the verb and noun conceptual dictionaries in the narrative generation system. Moreover, other conceptual dictionaries are also necessary for generating more interesting stories. In this study, we present basic methods for developing an adjective conceptual dictionary and adjective verb conceptual dictionary in an integrated narrative generation system (INGS). We refer to antonym relationships between adjective concepts and adjective verb concepts. Furthermore, as an approach to the application based on the above types of dictionaries, we introduce an attempt to use both the description of antonym relationships for the adjective & adjective verb concepts and our “coloring” technique for giving a certain atmosphere to a story to be generated.

Pages: 158-166

Research Article

8.Extending BWDM to Support Various Types and Recursive Definitions in VDM++ Test Case Generation

Shota Takakura, Tetsuro Katayama, Yoshihiro Kita, Hisaaki Yamaba, Kentaro Aburada, Naonobu Okazaki

Generating test cases from VDM++ formal specifications, which help to eliminate ambiguities, is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. To solve this problem, our laboratory has developed BWDM, a tool for automatic test case generation from VDM++ specifications. However, the original BWDM only supports integer types and cannot handle test cases for operations and functions with recursive structures. To enhance BWDM's usefulness, this paper introduces extensions to address these limitations. The results confirm that the extended BWDM can reduce test case generation time compared to manual methods.

Pages: 167-171

Research Article

9.An Animation System on the Basis of the Multiplicity of a Kabuki Work and its Background Story: Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji and the Legend of Dōjōji

Jumpei Ono, Shunta Kudo, Takashi Ogata

We have continued a series of study on Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji. The study has various topics, including the development of an animation mechanism according to the stage performance structure of Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji. Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji as a kabuki dance partially uses the story of the legend of Dōjōji. Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji partially uses the story of the legend of Dōjōji. We have also investigated the mutual relationships between these narrative works and attempted the design and development of a system reflecting the above relationships. This paper presents an animation mechanism using these previous researches. In particular, this system flexibly relates the structural flow of the stage performance of Kyōganoko Musume Dōjōji to scenes in the legend of Dōjōji.

Pages: 172-184

Research Article

10. Usage and Distinctions of Robotic Arms, Conventional Machinery, and Hands-on Labor in Manufacture Processes

Xue Yang, Yuping Mei, Ying Su

The purpose of this article is to delve into the contrasting characteristics of robotic arms as opposed to conventional machinery and human capabilities.First of all, robotic arms represent a type of automated tool that exhibits high accuracy and flexibility, enabling them to execute a wide range of complicated tasks. Conversely, conventional machines are often short of such high accuracy and flexibility, while human-beings tend to suffer from issues like high error rates and low work efficiency. Second, the advent of robotic arms offers a solution to numerous challenges posed by conventional machines and human-beings, ultimately enhancing manufacture quality and efficiency. Lastly, what there is not have inherent conflicts between robotic arms, conventional machines, and human-beings; instead, one can effectively complement to another one. Throug strategically integrating robotic arms and human labor, we human can harness their respective strengths to optimize economic gains and overall manufacture efficiency.

Pages: 185-188