Motohide Hatanaka’s research while affiliated with Stanford University and other places

Ahandheld electronic musical instrument, named the BentoBox, was developed. The motivation was to develop an instrument which one can easily carry around and play in moments of free time, for example when riding public transportation or during short breaks at work. The device was designedtoenable quick learning by having various scales programmed for different styles of music, and also be expressive by having hand controlled timbral effects which can be manipulated while playing. Design analysis and iteration lead to a compact and ergonomic device. This paper focuses on the ergonomic design process of the hardware.

We describe a set of techniques to permit the fabrication of multi-material layered prototypes with embedded flexible components such as reinforcing fibers, fabrics and electrical wiring. The main challenges are to maintain the shapes of the flexible elements during processing and to control precisely the geometries of adjacent regions of part material without either damaging the flexible elements or being hindered by them. The solutions involve sequences of controlled deposition and/or removal of part material and sacrificial "buffer" material. Functional considerations concerning strength and fatigue life may induce additional constraints on the processing sequence. Where conventional material removal is impractical, we present a new approach involving a hybrid of photolithography and shape deposition manufacturing. Alternative methods of achieving similar functions without cross-boundary embedding can ease fabrication and even improve performance. Design and process selection guidelines have been composed based on fabrication experience.

As our understanding of the principles underlying animal locomotion improves, we are inspired to apply them to robot design. This has traditionally been achieved through controls or discrete mechanical devices; however, new manufacturing methods, such as Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM), offer us the opportunity to develop mechanisms containing intrinsic mechanical properties tailored for function. To properly utilize SDM, we must develop a bridge between biology and design. As a first step, we have conducted relaxation and dynamic tests on the ablated metathoracic limb of the Blabems discoidalis cockroach and derived measures of stiffness and damping. We then tested an SDM-compatible polymer with similar viscoelastic properties. Comparison and understanding of the mapping between these two materials enables us to design and manufacture legs with stiffness and damping similar to those found in insects.

As our understanding of the principles underlying animal locomotion improves, we are inspired to apply them to robot design. This has traditionally been achieved through controls or discrete mechanical devices; however, new manufacturing methods, such as Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM), offer us the opportunity to develop mechanisms containing intrinsic mechanical properties tailored for function. To properly utilize SDM, we must develop a bridge between biology and design. As a first step, we have conducted relaxation and dynamic tests on the ablated metathoracic limb of the Blaberus discoidalis cockroach and derived measures of stiffness and damping. We then tested an SDM-compatible polymer with similar viscoelastic properties. Comparison and understanding of the mapping between these two materials enables us to design and manufacture legs with stiffness and damping similar to those found in insects.