Tuningless, high-performance servo control

Tuningless servo control is a robust control method for driving a servo system. Conventional tuningless control methods are only used for limited applications which require slow response time. If user want to increase the performance of the servo system, laborious tuning processes are required. We have developed a noble tuningless servo control method with high-performance (fast tack time). Our control method is based on sliding mode control, disturbance compensation, and adaptive resonance suppression methods.

Vision Based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM)

In robotic mapping, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is the computational problem of constructing or updating a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously keeping track of an agent’s location within it. We are interested in developing a SLAM algorithm using a forward-viewing mono camera. We have developed a SLAM algorithm for home service robot using various features including line and corner features in the environment. It is expected that the developing SLAM method can improve robot’s service quality since it can provide accurate position information of the robot.

MEMS Ion Traps for Quantum Information Processing

Ion traps are one of the promising physical implementations of quantum information processing (QIP), because of the long coherence time and the capability of individual qubit manipulation. From the mid-2000s, scalable MEMS fabrication technologies have been applied to construct large-scale integrated ion traps for complex quantum algorithm. We have developed a new copper-sacrificial-layer silicon microfabrication method for ion trap chips and succeeded to manipulate the quantum state of the trapped 171Yb+ ion. It is expected that the ion trap technology can contribute to realize novel quantum information processing methods with exponential speed-up that we have never experienced so far. 

Bacteria based Biomedical Microrobot Technology

Drug delivery system (DDS) is concerned with targeting drugs to specific cells. For this, biodegradable polymers are commonly utilized as the particulate drug carriers. In this work, we have developed a novel x-ray lithography based micromachining technology for biodegradable polymer and a surface energy modification method for controlling bacterial adhesion on the cubic DDS. Utilizing these methods, localized and controlled drug delivery to target cells can be easily achieved.

 

Retinal Prosthetic System Using MEMS, CMOS, and bio

Retinal prosthesis is one solution which can restore functional vision for the people suffering from retinal degenerative diseases. Since late 1960s, many researches have made efforts on developing electrical stimulators that can create visual perception by implanting a microelectrode array. Our research focuses on realizing a high resolution retinal prosthetic system on the basis of the neural network. By using MEMS and CMOS technologies, we are researching the effective neuronal stimulation with a combination of flexible nanowires, 3-dimensional microelectrodes, and ASICs, which has not been studied for retinal prosthesis by others. The physiological experiments have shown the promising results. Our unique and exclusive prosthetic research would be the breakthrough to provide a vision to the blinded individuals.

 

 

Bio-mimetic Attitude/Movement Sensor

Bio-mimetic sensor technology is to use nature as a model. This approach deals with sensors and sensor systems based on mechanisms found in biological systems. We have developed a new conceptual attitude/movement sensor technology based on hair-like structure found in many living things such as cricket’s filiform hair or spider’s trichobothrium. Using these method, Information related to attitude/movement such as acceleration, angular velocity, or flow velocity can be exactly provided. It is expected that the bio-mimetic attitude/movement sensor technology can improve substantially current sensor technology.