Hidemitsu Furukawa

Yamagata University | YU · Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering

This study presents the development of a real-response texture identification device, ``Sommelier Animaloid'', designed to evaluate the quality changes in carbonated drinks over time. Results indicate the device's capability of high-precision recognition of carbonated drinks in correlation with elapsed time, facilitating real-time evaluation. Curre...

To achieve high-quality printing with a 3D printer, it is important to set optimal printing parameters. In our research, we have advanced the development of a 3D food printer capable of rendering a variety of food products. Notably, the rheological properties of food-based inks are influenced by the constituent ingredients, ambient conditions such...

A computational framework that is extremely fast to learn without a labyrinth of coding is known as physical reservoir computing. This computation inputs some action into a real physical system and obtains an output from the observed nonlinear dynamics of the system. It has been suggested that this output can be applied to machine learning to achie...

Laminar jamming, a technique in soft robotics for regulating structural rigidity, traditionally relies on vacuum pressure activation. Recent studies are exploring discrete jamming methods for enhanced portability in soft actuators. This paper investigates stiffness control in a fused laminar structure whose layers are made of 400 grit sandpaper bon...

Tunable stiffness in soft robotic actuators is crucial for developing sensor augmented artificial hands capable of mimicking human gripping complexity at reduced costs. This work proposes a synergistic actuator integrated with a composite laminar jamming structure developed by bonding together layers of printer paper and 400 grit abrasive paper. Th...

Soft modular robotics is a research field that pursues body flexibility while maintaining reconfigurability by employing flowable or soft materials as the main constituent materials of modular robots. In soft modular robotics, a hollow structure made of silicone is created, and the inside of the structure is pressurized to generate stretching and b...

The combination of hydronephrosis formation, ureteroscopic imaging, and ultrasound delineation has not been included in any non-biological training model of percutaneous nephrolithotomy or endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery. We aimed to develop a realistic kidney phantom using the self-healing properties of supramolecular hydrogels for percutan...

Methanogens are used as catalysts for cathodes in microbial fuel cells, to reduce CO 2 to CH 4 . However, the attachment of microbes to the electrodes via culturing is time‐consuming, and inadequate biofilm formation can lead to lesser surface area coverage, resulting in reduced methane formation. This study aims to improve the production efficienc...

Polymers are essential building blocks for soft robots, and therefore, must maintain their structural integrity under compliant performance. In this regard, it is important to understand the structure, properties, and functions of polymers, including process and engineering of polymeric materials. In this chapter, we will introduce the basics of po...

Mushrooms grow so fast during the harvest season that they can double in size in a day. However, the soft and fragile nature of mushrooms makes manual harvesting of domestic brand varieties a necessity. Therefore, an important industrial issue in the efficiency of mushroom cultivation in Japan is how to make mushrooms easy to harvest and grow. The...

One of the new computational frameworks is physical reservoir computing. Focusing on this method, we have previously developed a soft-matter artificial mouth ”Gel Biter”, which is composed of multiple polymeric materials based on the structure of the human oral cavity. This soft machine can discriminate even subtle differences in food texture with...

Soft modular robotics combines soft materials and modular mechanisms. We are developing a vacuum-driven actuator module, MORI-A, which combines a 3D-printed flexible parallel cross structure with a cube-shaped hollow silicone. The MORI-A module has five deformation modes: no deformation, uniform contraction, uniaxial contraction, flexion, and shear...

Facile synthesis is demonstrated formation of CuO/rGO composite for enhanced optical and electrical characteristics for sensing and photonic devices. CuO nanoparticles synthesized using sol-gel method and various rGO percentages (10-30%) were loaded to form composite via ultra-sonic assisted technique. Structural study using X-ray diffraction and t...

PneuNet actuators emulate human finger function and have broad application potential in domestic and industrial settings. To unlock their full potential, enhancing their controlled stiffness is crucial. This study presents the innovative design, fabrication, and evaluation of a cost-effective soft hybrid bending actuator by merging a homogeneous la...

In 4D printing, structures with gradients in physical properties are 3D printed in order to dramatically increase deformation. For example, printing bilayer structures with passive and active layers has been proposed, however, these methods have the disadvantages that the material of each layer is mixed, and the modeling process is complicated. Her...

Although people may have discrepancies in their perception of food texture for the same food depending on the chewing speed and the structure of the oral cavity, we assume that there is no significant variation among individuals in terms of rough indicators such as shape and hardness. However, in machines, even small changes in experimental conditi...

There are many polymeric materials that could be introduced as soft actuators, however the choices are actually limited due to strong degradation constraints. Among them, hydrogels have the weakness of drying, although their softness can be controlled by water content. Therefore, this study proposes a novel printable/vacuumable gel actuator by comb...

MORI-A FleX is a soft modular robot that can be deformed, reconfigured, and adapted to different environments. However, MORI-A FleX is not versatile because it is currently only actuated by vacuum. Therefore, this study proposes the ”MORI-U” actuator, which is a single-module actuator that reverses deformation during acceleration and deceleration....

In this study, we aim to establish a three-dimensional printing method for Inter-Crosslinking Network (ICN) structure gels in which magnetic powders of soft and hard magnetic particles are dispersed. Among various vat photopolymerization methods, such as the free-surface method, we investigated the modeling conditions and solution viscosity in a 3D...

This research aims to develop a food 3D printer capable of mixing and modeling multiple food ingredients in arbitrary proportions. One of the expected applications of food 3D printers is the provision of personalized foods. To provide personalized foods, it is necessary to print foods with ingredients whose nutrients and hardness are adjusted accor...

This study aims to develop food printing technology using food powder. The composition of the food ink that is safe for nursing care food was determined based on a comparison with the lower limit of viscosity and the upper limit of hardness in Universal Design Food (UDF), as well as the discharge ability and shape retention after forming by a food...

Mushrooms grow so fast during the harvest season that they can double in size in a day. However, the soft and fragile nature of mushrooms makes manual harvesting of domestic brand varieties a necessity, and harvest losses frequently occur. Therefore, an important industrial issue in the efficiency of mushroom cultivation in Japan is how to make mus...

Recently，soft robotics research has been conducted on soft-bodied organisms（squid，octopus，jellyfish），and Inter-Crosslinking Network（ICN）gels with high water content have been studied to provide flexibility and high fracture strain．The 3D gel printer technology has evolved，and technologies to add deformation response to 3D printed gel materials have...

Various methods of 3D gel printers have been reported to produce on-demand flexible structures such as 3D cell scaffold materials and soft robots.3D gel printers can produce hollow structures of arbitrary shapes, which is difficult to achieve by mold forming.On the other hand, most 3D gel printers to date have been based on a single method, and it...

From the viewpoint of digital transformation and automation of manufacturing, manufacturing with 3D printers is attracting attention. We have developed the "GelPiPer," a platform for the fabrication of gel materials, because the ability to output a variety of materials and shapes at any location can reduce modeling time and logistics costs. In this...

In this study, we investigate the development of an inchworm-inspired soft robot with active friction control of its feet. The focus is on its design, modeling, and locomotion principle. Friction control is achieved dynamically by using a unique material called double-network hydrogel (DN gel) to form the legs of the inchworm robot. DN gels are sof...

Hydrogel actuators with soft-robotic capabilities, as well as biomimetic advanced materials with simple and programmable fabrication processes, are currently in high demand. In this work, we will demonstrate 4D printing phenomena using different hydrogel-based systems to create bilayer actuator systems. A variety of hydrogels, such as shape memory...

The human oral structure contains organs with distinctly different physical properties, such as teeth, gums, and tongues. When food enters the oral cavity, we can recognize the tactile sensation and shape of the object from multiple perspectives through the texture of the teeth and tongue. Therefore, it is possible to regard oral structures as a gr...

Biofabrication of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the aromatic essential oils is highlighted due to its simple, economical, low toxicity, and eco-friendly nature. Essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (CF), an economically valuable medicinal plant, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. For the first tim...

Room temperature low –trace detection (lower than 2 ppm) of sulphur dioxide (SO2) through compact, economic and sustainable chemiresistor has created a large demand-supply gap in sensor market. For the first time, this communication reports the room-temperature detection of 1ppm of airborne SO2 utilizing tin-oxide (SnO2)/carbon nanotube (CNT) hybri...

Amid ongoing devastation due to Serve-Acute-Respiratory-Coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2), the global spatial and temporal variation in the pandemic spread has strongly anticipated the requirement of designing area-specific preventive strategies based on geographic and meteorological state-of-affairs. Epidemiological and regression models have strongly pro...

4D printing [1] is a new interdisciplinary research area made possible by the merger of scientific developments in additive manufacturing and smart materials [2]. It is a technology that allows 3D printed objects to be deformed over time by applying specific external stimuli [3] and is currently attracting attention as a technology to program biolo...

Progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) consist of a rotor and a stator. The extrusion process of PCPs is governed by a single-helical rotor which rotates eccentrically within a double-helical stator of twice the pitch length. Between the seal lines (the contact lines of rotor and stator), there are cavities which are constantly moved towards the discharge...

Food 3D printing is expected to be a technology to create foods with different tastes and hardness depending on individual preferences and to solve the problem of food loss problems. In this study, we focus on the 3D printing of chocolate, whose product value is greatly affected by its appearance, entertainment and texture. Although 3D printers of...

Food 3D printers are next generation devices that can fabricate food products with complex internal structures and external shapes, and are expected to be used as devices for producing food products with shapes and textures that meet people's preferences, but also provide requirement of seven essential factors for a balanced diet: carbs, protein, f...

Currently, there are Collaborative robots (cobots) that use multiple robots to solve a single, simple task, such as finding survivors in rubble or monitoring the environment during a disaster. [1] Such robots are moved by vibration motors and communicate with nearby robots via infrared communication for control. In this study, we develop a soft rob...

Emergent application of antimicrobial strategies as symptomatic treatment in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and linkage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 with microbial infections, has created colossal demand for antimicrobials. For the first time, this communication explore the physicochemical, antifungal, antibacterial, and photoc...

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for safe soft robots that work in a work environment similar to that of humans. The use of 3D modeling technology in the manufacturing of soft robot chassis, soft electronic parts, and wiring processes is expected to lead to more efficient and smaller soft robot manufacturing. The objective of this s...

In this project, we aim to establish a design theory as well as implementation methods for deformable robot mechanisms that can branch and change in shape, structure, and stiffness. As the first step in our research on this project, we present an initial prototype of a branched torus mechanism that uses an inflatable structure inspired by a nemerte...

The coronavirus epidemic has attracted significant attention to the applications of pet robots which can be used to treat and entertain people in their homes. However, pet robots are fabricated using hard materials and it is difficult for them to communicate with people through contact. Soft robots are expected to realize communication through cont...

This letter describes the social needs and research trends of soft robots for pressure ulcer prevention, and our current work on the robotization of soft gel cushions.

In recent years, many companies and research institutes have been conducting research on food 3D printers. The most commonly known 3D printing method is the thermal melting and lamination method, fused deposition modeling (FDM), in which plastic materials are melted and then ejected from a nozzle. The plastic materials used in this method are therm...

Soft tactile sensors have been extensively studied due to their promising potential in estimating applied forces while exhibiting mechanical compliance. Such sensors have been fabricated from a variety of composite materials and various techniques to advance their applications. Currently, the development of soft tactile sensor based on carbon nanot...

Electrolyte-gated transistor (EGT)-based biosensors are created with nanomaterials to harness the advantages of miniaturization and excellent sensing performance. A cholesterol EGT biosensor based on iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles decorated ZnO nanorods is proposed here. ZnO nanorods are directly grown on the seeded channel using a hydrotherm...

Many soft robots are made of polymeric materials such as silicone, urethane, and gel. These soft matter-based robots can be designed to have soft functionality by controlling the deformation , elastic modulus, and other properties of the flexible material. However, updating the shape of a soft robot once it is developed is not considered to be high...

In this article, we report the development and optimization of a cost-effective, biodegradable, disposable, and lightweight conductive polymer deposited on exfoliated graphite paper battery. The anode is made of aluminum foil and the cathode using electrochemically deposited anthraquinone conductive polymers on exfoliated graphite paper. Concentrat...

Patients with hypertension are seriously affected by Parkinson’s disease than patients with normal blood pressure. Thus, early detection of hypertension and Parkinson disease by monitoring subtle changes in specific biomarkers from body fluids can minimize the risk. This paper proposes a flexible, portable paper-based sensor for simultaneous electr...

New biobased polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocomposite materials were prepared using cellulose-zinc oxide (NCC-ZnO) as an organic–inorganic nanofiller which was prepared by loading zinc oxide (ZnO) onto the surface of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). Various loadings (2–8 wt%) of nanofiller were added onto the PCL matrix to prepare PCL/NCC-ZnO nanocompo...

A patient-specific phantoms, which are equivalent to human tissues, is needed in the experimental dosimetric verification before radiotherapy treatments. Most of the shape of gel phantoms have been structurally limited because of the fabrication method using mold technique. The present study focuses on direct freeform fabrication of gel phantom wit...

The polymer gels with the properties of high strength and low friction show promise as the ideal materials for a living body-like soft robot joint. To date, the relationship between contact area and friction behavior of hydrogels has been revealed from the observation of flat frictional surface. Here, we designed the microscopic observation system...

Functional and intelligent soft materials are useful for controlled release of medicines and other molecules. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) gels are well known as thermo-responsive gels with large discontinuous volume change which is commonly called as the volume phase transition. PNIPAm gels are expected to be applied to controlled-releasab...

Soft robots, made of elastomers and gels tend to easily break, punctured, or torn by contact with sharp and thin objects. To deal with this problem, we had proposed a robotic blood vessel mechanism that has a self-healing function by inserting liquid-filled blood vessels in the body. their bodies themselves. The liquid flows out and is cured which...

In the present study, we investigated effects of macroscopic 3D structures of soft foods such as nursing foods printed using a 3D food printer on the texture. First, 3D printing was performed using two types of soft foods with different hardness, and the modeling properties were evaluated. The results showed that the two types of soft foods did not...

Polymer gels are materials characterized by high biocompatibility due to their high water content, high flexibility, and low friction, and have been applied to products such as soft contact lenses and disposable diapers. This paper will start with an explanation of the basic structure of polymer gels, and then introduce the development of high-stre...

The electrochemical biosensors are a class of biosensors which convert biological information such as analyte concentration that is a biological recognition element (biochemical receptor) into current or voltage. Electrochemical biosensors depict propitious diagnostic technology which can detect biomarkers in body fluids such as sweat, blood, feces...