The demand for high-precision abrasive processes for difficult-to-machine materials, such
as hardened steel, ceramics, Ti alloys, and CFRP, has increased in various industries, such
as in the automotive, airplane, optical, and communication industries, as well as in the life
and medical sciences. Some difficult-to-machine materials can be reliably machined using
deterministic precision-cutting processes. On the other hand, hard and brittle materials,
such as ceramics, carbides, the hardened steel of molds, glassy materials, or semiconductor
materials, have to be machined using precision abrasive technologies with super abrasives
of diamond or cBN. However, the machining of high-precision components and their
molds/dies by means of abrasive processes is much more difficult because the complex
and non-deterministic natures and textured surfaces of these materials. In this sense,
precision grinding and polishing processes are primarily used to generate high-quality,
functional components usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface qualities
achievable through precision grinding and polishing processes become more important in
terms of reducing machining times and costs.
This special issue covers high-performance abrasive technologies; including grinding,
lapping, polishing, and jet polishing; energy-assisted abrasive technologies; magnetic
machining technologies; and vibration-assisted technologies.

[in Japanese]
災害に関する研究には、社会に対する俯瞰的、包括的な視点が不可欠である。しかしながら、災害を総合的に取り扱う学術誌が見当たらなかった。Journal of Disaster Research (JDR)は、この背景のなかで、災害研究総合学術誌として、2006年8月に、創刊号Vol.1 No.1を刊行した。年6号の定期刊行を原則としているが、特別号、増刊号が追加される年もある。JDR創刊5年後の2011年の3月に東日本大震災が発生した。その時、JDRでは、甚大災害が発生した場合には特別号を発行することにした。論文、記事等の掲載料は無料とし、形態は電子版とした。
発生後10年が経過した2021年、特別号として大震災に関するノート特集を企画した。特集課題は『10年が経過した現在想うこと』である。災害・防災を総合的に扱う学術論文誌として、テーマ・分野を限らず、東日本大震災から10年が経過し、何がどう変化しまた変化していないか、また今後どのような視点が必要であるか、災害に関わる全ての分野からそれぞれの立場で感ずること・提言をノート（Note）として募集する。多くの投稿を期待している。

[in English]
A bird’s-eye view and a comprehensive perspective on society are indispensable for research on disasters, over and above professional knowledge of the specific fields. However, it has traditionally been difficult to find an academic journal that comprehensively deals with disasters.
Against this backdrop, a new academic journal was planned, the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR), to deal with disasters comprehensively. The first issue, JDR Vol.1, No.1, was published in August 2006. In principle, six issues a year are published regularly, but special issues or extra editions may be added as needed.
The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 2011, five years after the first issue of the JDR. It was then that the JDR decided to publish a special issue whenever there was a serious disaster.
In a special issue, there is no publication charge for papers and articles, and the digital format is used.
In 2021, on the tenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the JDR plans special issue VI, a limited edition of notes. The topic is “thoughts about the Great Disaster now that ten years have passed.”
The JDR, an academic journal that comprehensively deals with disasters, is calling, with no subject or field limitations, for notes. The notes may discuss “what has changed,” “what has not changed,” “what perspective is needed for the future,” etc. and may include opinions, analyses, and impressions.
The JDR hopes to receive a large number of submissions from all fields related to disasters.

[in English]
In the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNWCDRR) held in Sendai, the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030” was adopted. The framework established seven targets, including outcome targets toward a reduction in human and property losses caused by disasters. The government of each country will be required to carry out the monitoring of achievements in the future.
This issue includes the outcomes of various interdisciplinary studies on disaster statistics, aiming at providing scientific findings that contribute to evidence-based policy-making by the government of each country. We are calling for papers from a wide range of fields same as Part 1–3.

[in Japanese]
2015年に仙台で開催された第3回国連防災世界会議において、仙台防災枠組（Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030）が策定された。当該枠組では、災害による人的・物的損失の削減に向けた結果目標（Outcome Target）を含む７つの目標が設定され、今後、各国政府には達成状況に係るモニタリングの実施が求められている。
本特集号は、災害統計に関する様々な学際的研究の成果を取りまとめ、各国政府によるEvidence based policy making（科学的根拠に基づく政策立案）に資する科学的な知見の提供を目的としており、これまで同様、幅広い分野からの論文を募集する。

Autonomous car driving, construction robots, drones, rescue robots, and other machines that mainly operate outdoors are collectively referred to as field robotics. Field robotics has seen rapid growth in recent years and is widely expected to bring highly transformative societal changes. While robustness is key in all aspects in outdoor environments, AI has rapidly evolved to enable robust recognitions, which conventionally used to be difficult to realize, enhancing the feasibility of field robotics.
In this context, this Special Issue on “Field Robotics with Vision Systems” cordially invites as many papers and theses as possible on field robotics having vision systems.

Humans have a long history of self-augmentation, both in terms of body and being. Since ancient times, people have used cosmetics and implements to alter their appearance, state of mind, and abilities. As technology has advanced, the ways in which people have augmented themselves have only grown in variety and freedom. With modern virtual reality technology, for example, the only limit on augmenting one’s appearance and abilities is the designer’s imagination. Advances in the domains of robotics and human-computer interaction have similarly begun to extend the limits of the human form and its abilities in the physical world. Future advancements are expected to only further the release of the human race from limitations, eventually leading to the ability to achieve a freeform self.
This special issue seeks to gather cutting-edge research that aims to enhance and augment humans, both in body and being. Papers exploring the development of novel augmentations and/or the psychological and physical effects of the augmentations are welcome in this special issue. We welcome papers pertaining to any of the following topics:
1. Human augmentation
2. Robotics
3. Supernumerary limbs
4. Smart artifacts and smart textiles
5. Wearable and ubiquitous computing
6. Bionic systems
7. Exoskeletons
8. Implanted technologies and interfaces
9. Virtual, mixed, and augmented reality
10. Machine learning
11. Human-computer interaction
12. Cognitive neuroscience
13. Functional neuroimaging
14. Neurological augmentation
15. Brain-machine interfaces
16. Sensorimotor systems
17. Biosignal processing
18. Perception and cognition
19. Somatic cognition
20. Social psychology
21. Behavior analysis
22. Augmented sport
23. Training and rehabilitation technology
24. Design
25. Fashion
26. Technology and society
27. Privacy and security
28. Philosophy of science

The industrial robot is more precisely an “automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator, programmable in three or more axes, which can be either fixed in place or mobile” (ISO 8373:2012). According to the International Federation of Robotics, by 2018, more than 400,000 new units were being installed annually, and the global average robot density in the manufacturing industry was 99 robots per 10,000 employees. More than 30% of all installed robots were in the automotive industry, the biggest customer for robots.
Research on modeling, optimal motion control, programming, and efficient trajectory planning has been conducted to give robotic manipulators a wider variety of industrial applications. Owing to their larger workspace as well as greater flexibility, there is also an interest in utilizing industrial robots in contact applications such as machining. However, this is challenging since they are less accurate yet more complex than specialized machinery.
Hence, this special issue covers technical and academic efforts related to new technologies that improve the accuracy and facilitate the implementation of robotic manipulators in industrial applications. Suitable topics may include but are not limited to the following:
* Mechanical and geometrical property modeling and measurement
* Stiffness modeling and measurement
* Dynamic behavior modeling and measurement
* Offline and online compensation methods/strategies
* Path planning methodologies
* Thermal compensation
* Sensor-based robot enhancement
* AI applications in industrial robotics
* Robot programming: Interaction of specialized machinery and industrial manipulators
* Vision-based measurement
* Dynamic feedback control of robots
* Integrated metrology and robot sensors
* Production management with robots

In the studies done to date on the swarm behaviors of living creatures, many different observational techniques have been developed, indicating the importance of such detailed observations. The techniques of researchers aiming to capture the fact of the visually unobservable swarm behaviors of a variety of living creatures have included putting microsensors on the bodies of honey bees or ants, and putting data loggers (micro recorders) on those of birds or mammals. Such techniques, also called bio-logging, can go far in clarifying why we feel living creatures that exhibit swarm behaviors should have some intelligence as a swarm (swarm intelligence). Furthermore, the studies on swarm behaviors of living creatures can provide important knowledge to the studies on swarm robotics in the field of robotics. It is in this context that this special issue invites as many papers as possible on the biologging technologies and collective behaviors mainly for living creatures as well as various advanced measurement technologies related to them in hopes of contributing to further advancements in the biologging and swarm robotics fields.

The aging of Japan’s population, which is now progressing at a speed unprecedented in the world, has caused a shortage of caregivers as a major issue. At the same time, the Internet of things (IoT) is expected to create unprecedented new value by connecting all people and things, enabling them to share various kinds of knowledge and information, while artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are undergoing a transformation that has changed the value of human labor. These innovative technologies are expected to solve the problems created by the aging of society. In the field of nursing care, however, the relationship between the caregiver and the care-receiver is largely a person-to-person connection. How people and technology can coexist and what new creations can be invented to solve problems in such personal fields are open questions. There is a particularly urgent need for the social implementation of nursing robots that help those in need to become independent and reduce the burdens of caregivers, as well as for systems that support watching over the elderly and supporting their everyday functions. Adding to this is the spread of COVID-19, which is creating new needs by causing society to do more things remotely in order to reduce the risk of infection. For this special issue, we are looking for ideas and suggestions to solve a wide range of nursing care issues.

Advanced digital geometry processing is required to develop, maintain, and renovate plants, factories, tunnels, bridges, forests, buildings and urban environments, as well as to conduct simulations and several automations therein. The importance of the rapid evolution of reliable and efficient 3D acquisition, processing, recognition, and modeling technologies, and their application to digital geometry data from large-scale structures and environments, is increasing.
Much research effort is being devoted to digital geometry processing and its applications. The main objective of this special issue is to provide the results of the latest research on and useful applications of digital geometry processing for large-scale structures and environments.
Related topics include but are not limited to the following:
* 3D geometry data acquisition of large-scale structures and environments.
* Point cloud and mesh data processing of large-scale structures and environments.
* Recognition and modeling of large-scale structures and environments.
* Applications of digital geometry data of large-scale structures and environments.
The papers in this special issue present the latest advances in large-scale geometry processing. Learning about these advances will help readers explore them while sharing their knowledge and experience with related technologies and developments.

In the last two years, the use of drones has advanced rapidly. Drones are becoming an indispensable tool in various industrial fields, such as surveying, inspection, and agriculture. At the same time, autonomous drone technology has also made rapid progress, with the unprecedented appearance of intelligent drones that combine image processing technology with AI technology. In this special issue, we are calling for papers on the latest autonomous drone technologies, especially intelligent drones.

Owing to changes in global industrial structure, the number of employees in manufacturing industry has been decreasing in developed countries. One of solutions offered in Industry 4.0 is “utilization of ROBOT and AI as alternatives to skilled workers.” The solutions have been applied to various operations conventionally performed by skilled workers and have given consistent results. A skilled worker has two features: “skill for physical operation” and “skill for decision making,” which correspond to utilization of ROBOT and AI, respectively.
Topics of interest in this special issue include but are not limited to the following:
*Application of ROBOT for various operations.
*Application of AI for various operations.
*Automation of operation that requires skill.
In addition to academic theory or analysis, technical reports, including practical cases, are welcome.

本特集号では，公道における実験を通して積み重ねられた，確実に動くシステム構築とその制御手法を世界に発信することを目的としています．実世界における自律移動ロボットの公開実験「つくばチャレンジ」は，2018 年から第三ステージとなり，開催場所はつくば市役所をスタート地点とするコースへと変更されました．また，新たなる試みとして，前日に通知されるチェックポイントの通過や，２台同時スタート，コース中の一時停止線の厳守など，現実世界の自律走行に期待される機能を要求する課題が加わりました．一方，つくばチャレンジの精神を受け継いだ新たなる試みとして，大阪市内での公開実証実験事業「中之島チャレンジ」が2018 年より開催されています．大阪の市街地を自律移動ロボットが走行する唯一の大会として，市街地ならではの実環境走行に求められる課題が新たに発見され，それらを解決してくれるものと期待しています．それぞれのチャレンジで，大会から提供された課題を達成したチームはシステム構成と制御手法を，惜しくも課題達成ができなかったチームは，各々のチームが設定した課題とシステムの検証を是非とも行っていただき，得られた知見を共有して頂きたいと考えております．本特集号へのご投稿をお待ちしています．

Abrasive technologies are currently indispensable for production processes in various industries, such as the automotive, aerospace, optics, telecommunications, and healthcare industries. In
production in these industries, even though it may be difficult to obtain the required accuracy and quality through other machining methods, abrasive technologies overcome the problems, yielding high surface quality with high dimensional and shape accuracy as a result. On the other hand, high-hardness materials, such as hardening die steels, cemented carbides, ceramics, and semiconductor materials, as well as heat-resistant materials, such as titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys, have become more difficult to machine as they have been developed. The accuracy and efficiency required of them have also increased. In order to realize these required types of processing, it is necessary to further advance the research and development of abrasive technologies, such as grinding and polishing. To these ends, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of grinding and polishing and to develop processing techniques based on them. In addition, it is important to develop abrasive tools, including the abrasives they use, and to develop technologies peripheral to abrasive processing, such as tool conditioning techniques, coolant supply systems, and the coolants themselves.
This special issue covers the high-precision abrasive technologies of grinding, lapping, polishing, and jet machining, as well as magnetic machining technologies, vibration-assisted abrasive
technologies, and energy-assisted abrasive technologies.

Recent trends such as circular economy and responsible consumption and production have shown that it is increasingly crucial to include environmental sustainability in design and manufacturing.
In design, this includes ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, and design for X such as RRRDR (Remanufacturing, Refurbish, Repair, and Direct Reuse), maintenance, upgrading, recycling,
disassembly, and inspection. In manufacturing, this includes sustainable manufacturing, reducing energy and/or resource consumption, and sustainable value chain management.
The aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest research and practical case studies on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability, especially those that deal with a holistic view of technology, business, legislation, energy, resources, infrastructures, and customer behavior.
Papers ranging from theory to applications and case studies are welcomed. Topics of interest in this special issue include but are not limited to:
*design for sustainability including ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, product service system design, and design for X
*manufacturing aspects of sustainability including sustainable manufacturing, reducing energy and/or resource consumption, digital transformation in manufacturing, and sustainable value chain management
*business and social aspects of sustainability, including SDGs, circular economy, CE business, ecobusiness planning, product service system business, sharing business, sustainable consumption and production, and environmental legislation
*planning and design of sustainable infrastructure systems including “smart” cities, green buildings, green ICT, smart grids, and sensor-networks for environmental monitoring
*scenario planning and/or analysis for sustainability
*energy management and new energy technologies

[Special announcement for EcoDesign 2019 speakers]
We cannot accept manuscripts that appear in the Springer E-book as is. However, we can accept manuscripts that appear only in the Proceedings of EcoDesign 2019.

It is well known that fluid-powered systems are used practically in almost all industrial fields, including construction, manufacturing, transportation, and others. Nowadays, the rapid growth in the development of mechanical elements in fluid power systems, such as control valves, actuators, and sensors, as well as control strategies has given rise to pioneering in some novel application fields, in ways that were thought to be impossible a decade ago. High-precision positioning control using the compressible fluid of pneumatic driving systems and multi-legged robots equipped with standalone hydraulic components are simple examples. Moreover, soft robotics based on fluid-powered technologies have attracted attention not only in academia but also in human support fields that will become more important as Japan’s society ages. This special issue focuses on the state of the art in development of mechanical elements, total drive systems, motion control theory, as well as of concrete applications that use fluid-powered systems.

[in Japanese]
近年のロボットメカトロニクス技術の高度化複雑化に伴って，一つの研究室で完結することが難しくなりつつあります．そこで，大学等の研究機関では人と資財を集中するための組織として研究センターを設立して研究開発を進めています．本特集では，大学だけではなく企業や官公庁の研究機関の研究センターの最先端の研究成果を世界に発信する企画です．内容は研究センターの紹介のための概要１ページ（掲載料無料）とJournal paper またはDevelopment report を２～３編で構成します．なお，論文審査はこれまでの規程通りに行います．研究センター関係者のご投稿をお待ちしています．

[in English]
Recent advancements and sophistications in robotics and mechatronics technologies have created challenges for individual research groups to complete their work independently. Under these circumstances, research institutes, such as universities, have established research centers to promote advanced and sophisticated technological innovations by centralizing humans and material assets. This special issue is planned to globally expose the cutting-edge research outcomes from these research centers in universities as well as companies and governmental agencies. The contents of this special issue will consist of one-page brief introductions to these research centers (page-charge free) and of a few journal papers and development reports from each listed organization. The papers and reports submitted to this special issue will be peer-reviewed base on the regular rules of the journal. All members affiliated with such research centers are hereby cordially invited to contribute papers or reports to this special issue of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics.
<PDF>: https://www.fujipress.jp/main/wp-content/uploads/JRM_CFP_Center_E.pdf

The demand for high-precision machining of difficult-to-machine materials such as hardened steel, ceramics, Ti alloys, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic have increased across various industries such as in the automotive, aircraft, optical, and communication industries, as well as in life and medical sciences. Some difficult-to-machine materials can be reliably machined using deterministic precision cutting processes. On the contrary, hard and brittle materials such as ceramics, carbides, hardened steel molds, glassy materials, or semiconductor materials have to be machined using precision abrasive technologies with super abrasives of diamond or cBN. However, the machining of high-precision components and their molds/dies using abrasive processes is much more difficult owing to their complex and non-deterministic nature and textured surface. In this sense, precision grinding and polishing are primarily used to generate high-quality and functional components that are usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface quality achievable through precision grinding and polishing becomes more important for reducing machining time and cost.
This special issue covers the advanced abrasive technology of grinding, lapping, polishing, jet polishing, magnetic machining technologies, vibration assisted technologies, and energy-assisted abrasive technologies.

Miniaturization of computers and electronic devices as well as advancements in processing algorithms have enabled the development and practical use of several wearable devices. Other devices such as power assist robots for reducing the burden of work or wearable sensors for measuring physical activity and health condition of people and animals also provide various uses and are available in several forms. In Japan, Society 5.0 is attracting significant attention as one of the important technologies for a human-centered society that achieves both economic development and solutions to social problems. A society that can benefit from wearable devices anytime and anywhere is thus being realized. In this special issue, we focus on robotics and mechatronics technology for next generation wearable devices to realize a progressive society; the technologies in focus include wearable systems and their principles and fabrication, AI, IoT, and related technologies of practical use.

Always welcome

[in Japanese]
Journal of Robotics and Mechatronicsでは、大学の研究者による研究論文だけではなく、企業の技術者や大学・高専の学生による開発報告も募集しています。ロボティクス・メカトロニクスのシステム・技術を開発してみたが学術研究としてはまとめづらい場合であっても、自分たちの開発成果を読者に紹介したいという場合には、開発報告を書いてください。掲載されるとオンラインで無料公開され、世界中の読者に対して自分たちの成果を発信できます。英文誌ですが、英語で書くのが苦手な方でも、日本語で書いて出版社で翻訳することも可能です。開発現場での製品開発やロボット競技会での活動を通して達成した成果を、ぜひとも開発報告として投稿してください。

[in English]
The Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics (JRM) is calling for not only research papers from university researchers but also development reports from corporate engineers and university or college students. If you would like to present to our readers a system or technology you have developed in the field of robotics and mechatronics, you are encouraged to write a development report, even if you find difficulty in writing a research paper. Once published, your report will appear online free of charge and be shared with readers all over the world. JRM is an English journal, but if you are not confident in your English skills, you can write your report in Japanese and we will translate it for you. We are looking forward to receiving your development reports on, such as, product development in your company or an achievement in a robotics competition.
<PDF>: https://www.fujipress.jp/main/wp-content/uploads/JRM_CFP_Development.pdf

[in Japanese]
近年、3Dプリンタが急速に注目を集めています。高性能化と低価格化を背景に、一般家庭でも3Dプリンタを所有できる時代になり、個人でも容易にデジタルデータからオリジナルの立体造形物を作り出すことが可能になりました。ものづくり革命の到来とも言われています。JRMでは、3Dプリンタによるものづくりの革新を特集するため、革新的な造形技術やモデリング技術、理工系教育への応用、などロボット・メカトロニクス分野への応用が期待される3Dプリンタの技術の報告を募集します。投稿者と読者の間でモデリングデータやノウハウを共有し、創造的アイデアのネットワークを形成していくことも狙いの１つです。大学や研究機関からはもちろん、企業からも、皆様の投稿をお待ちしております。

[in English]
The high performance and low price of 3D printers have made them available to ordinary homes and individuals. Nowadays original 3D objects can be easily produced by individuals using 3D printers. To focus on the innovation of manufacturing using 3D printers, we are calling for technical reports introducing 3D printer technologies applied to robotics and mechatronics fields. Examples include innovative shaping and modeling technology, scientific and technological education, and so on. One of our aims is to form a creative network among authors and readers through the sharing of modeling data and technical knowledge. Submissions are welcome from both academic institutions such as universities and laboratories and from commercial and other enterprises.
Details are given in the following PDF.
https://www.fujipress.jp/main/wp-content/uploads/JRM_3DPrinter_CFP_En.pdf

Regular paper submission is always welcome.

Regular paper submissions are always welcome!

Regular paper submissions are always welcome!