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

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.

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.

[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!