[in Japanese]
中国武漢Wuhanで2019年12月に最初に発生したCOVID-19は、その後欧米諸国を中心に感染者数が増大し、2年半が経過した現時点でも収束とは言えない状態で、各国で感染者の報告が続いている。
COVID-19の病原体SARS-CoV-2には、多くの変異株：Variantが発生しており、WHO、国立感染研はこれらをVOC（Variant of Concern：懸念される変異株）、VOI（注目すべき変異株）、VUM（監視下の変異株）等に分類して監視している。一時はα、β、γ、δ株などのVariantsがVOCの中の多数を占めていたが、現時点では2021年11月に登場したオミクロン（ο）株が主体となっており、さらにο株の中での変異も生じている。
最近のWHO Weekly Report等に出ているCOVID-19の累積感染者の人口に対する比率（累積感染率）は、世界全体の平均では7%弱となっているが、米国25%、英国33％、フランス43%など欧米先進国が高い数値となっており、相変わらず欧米諸国での高い感染状態が続いている。
わが国の感染者数は、HER-SYS（新型コロナウイルス感染者等情報把握・管理支援システム：Health Center Real-time Information-sharing System on COVID-19）の導入等により積極的な実数把握が行われ、連日多数の感染者数が報告されているが、欧米諸国に比べると感染者数は少なく、上述のWHO Reportにおける累積感染率で表すと7%弱で、世界の平均値程度となっている。当初は首都圏、京阪神、中京地区、福岡、札幌等の大都市圏に集中していたが、次第に他の地域の感染者が拡散する傾向が見えている。
最近はレムデシビル、リトナビルなどの抗ウイルス薬、デキサメタゾン、パリシチニブなどの免疫調整薬等が活用され、重症化のリスク因子が示されるなど治療に関する知見が蓄積され、ワクチンも四回目の接種が開始されている。
世界全体でも、わが国でも本年当初に感染者数が増加する大きなウエーブを経験したが、このところ落ちついており、5月の連休には旅行者数の増加が見られ、外国人観光客の受入れも再開となった。しかし、この病原体ウイルスSARS-CoV-2はヒト以外の動物にも寄生する生態学特性を持つので、完全に撲滅することは難しいと思われ、現時点で感染者数が低下して落ち着きつつあるとは言え、注意を怠らないようにしなければならない。
そのようなことで、COVID-19は未だにパンデミック状態にあると言えるので、Special Issue Part 3を企画して、論文を募集することにした。
本誌では、COVID-19 の Special Issue Part 1を一昨年（Vol.16, No.1, pp. 1–117：14報掲載）、Part 2を昨年（Vol.17, No.1, pp. 1–158：18報掲載）いずれも電子版として発行しており、Part 3においても多くの投稿を期待したい。
COVID-19は感染症災害であるが、このパンデミックによりガン検診を控える傾向が見られるなど高齢者医療への影響が懸念されるなど、複雑な医療問題に拡がっている。
そして、教育現場や職場でもオンライン対応が求められ、飲食店街等の時短など、様々な状況を変えてしまった。感染症は、途上国の問題と、タカをくくっていた先進国が、COVID-19の登場で慌てふためいていると言える。
したがって、このSpecial Issue Part 3においても、医療災害としての観点と同時に、経済、教育、環境、観光等と幅広い視野での論文の投稿を期待している。また、Part 1, 2と同様に、COVID-19以外に、過去のHistorical Pandemics等と対比させた記述も歓迎する。

[in English]
After the December 2019 outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, the infection has spread rapidly to other parts of the world. Infection rates in the United States and several European nations were particularly dramatic. Even today, two and a half years since its initial outbreak, COVID-19 is still not under control, with cases of infection continuing to be reported in many countries.
The pathogen of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, has produced many variants, which have been classified by the WHO and the Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases, into variant of concern (VOC), variant of interest (VOI), and variant being monitored (VBM) for the purpose of monitoring. Although the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants were the dominant VOCs in the past, and now the Omicron variant which appeared in November 2021, has become dominant and is producing further variants.
The cumulative cases of COVID-19 per population, as released by the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Updates, constitute a little less than 7% for the entire world. The corresponding figures for the United States, United Kingdom, and France, are 25%, 33%, and 43%, respectively, indicating that the infection rate remains high in those regions.
Meanwhile, Japan has set up the Health Center Real-time Information-sharing System on COVID-19 (HER-SYS) to actively monitor the number of cases of infection. Consequently, many cases have been reported daily, although the figures are low compared to those in the United States and many European nations. The cumulative cases per population reported by the WHO Weekly Updates, now amount to slightly below 7%, about the same as the world average. Although the cases were initially concentrated in metropolitan areas, such as the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe area, Nagoya (Chukyo) area, Fukuoka, and Sapporo, the infection has gradually spread to other regions.
Antiviral agents such as remdesivir and ritonavir and immunomodulatory drugs such as dexamethasone and baricitinib have been introduced for treatment, and cumulative knowledge of COVID-19 treatment has increased, including the identification of risk factors for severe infection. Currently, the fourth doses of corona­virus vaccines are being offered to Japanese citizens.
Although Japan as well as the rest of the world experienced a surge of infection early this year, it has settled down more recently, with the result that large numbers of travelers were observed during the consecutive national holidays in early May, while Japan’s door has reopened again to foreign tourists recently.
Yet, the pathogenic virus SARS-CoV-2 is known to have animal hosts besides humans, so that its complete eradication is considered to be difficult. Although the number of newly infected cases is declining and the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be settling down for the present, we must guard against becoming too complacent.
Thus, in view of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic still represents an ongoing threat, we have decided to put together Part 3 of the Special Issue on COVID-19, for which we are calling for papers.
Part 1 of the Special Issue (Vol.16, No.1, pp. 1–117, 2021: 14 papers) and Part 2 (Vol.17, No.1, pp. 1–158, 2022: 18 papers) were published in electronic form. We hope to receive many manuscripts for the upcoming Part 3.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is an infectious disease-borne disaster, it has given rise to complex medical issues, such as the adverse effects on the healthcare, as seen in the tendency among the elderly to miss their cancer screenings out of fear of infection. It has also brought about changes in various social contexts, such as the demand for online formats in education and the workplace, or the curtailing of business hours in the food service industry. The COVID-19 pandemic can be said to have caused a certain social hysteria in the industrialized nations, which had until recently underestimated the threat of infectious diseases as concern largely limited to the developing parts of the world. We therefore hope to see manuscripts submitted from a broad perspective, including the papers that examine aspects of COVID-19 as a healthcare disaster as well as ones dealing with issues related to economics, education, the environment, tourism, etc. As in Parts 1 and 2, we also welcome comparative studies of COVID-19 and other pandemics in history.

As we become a super-aging society, it is essential to maintain and improve the quality of life among the elderly and to counter the young labor force shortage. Such problems are becoming evident in several areas, including not just the manufacturing sector but also the fields of transport/mobility and healthcare/welfare, wherein such situations abound that cannot be solved simply by replacing human workers with robots. In the manufacturing sector, for instance, the transmission of skills and knowledge is threatened as the members of the baby boomer generation who possess the knowledge and experience have reached the age of retirement, even as the younger population is declining. Another example is the provision of care with human warmth at sites of nursing. As we evolve toward Society 5.0, which is represented by a digital transformation and encompasses elements such as digital twins, it will be critical to pioneer a robotic technology that allows robots to work with humans to achieve a prosperous coexistence and create an affluent society. For this special issue, featuring humancentric robotic systems coexisting and working together with humans, we invite researchers to submit papers covering a wide range of topics, including element technologies and operating and evaluation methods.

Autonomous mobility, as exemplified by self-driving cars, autonomous mobile robots, drones, etc., is essential to the acceleration and practical application of transportation services and the automation of delivery, guidance, security, and inspection. Therefore, in recent years, expectations have been building for autonomous mobility to grow as a technology that not only improves the convenience and comfort of transportation and the efficiency of logistics but also leads to solutions to various social problems. Various technological elements are required to ensure the safety and quality of autonomous mobility for safe use. For example, technology is needed to create environmental maps and automatically determine obstacles, based on data acquired by cameras and sensors such as LiDAR. Technologies for planning appropriate routes and controlling robots safely and comfortably are also essential. In this special issue, we call for research papers on the “recognition,” “decision and planning,” and “control” of autonomous mobility in use. We welcome papers on, but not limited to, the following topics: mobile robots, self-driving cars, drones, personal mobility, SLAM, odometry, state estimation, path tracking control, obstacle avoidance, active cruise control, assist control, and attitude control.

We are pleased to announce the call for papers for a special issue of the Journal of Disaster Research on “Modeling of Human-Policy-Technology Nexus and Simulation for Disaster Response and Business Continuity.”

This special issue targets state-of-the-art research results, case studies, and information on disaster response and business continuity planning for academic researchers, practitioners, and policy makers interested in design, evaluation, and training related to these topics.

This issue welcomes submissions from all disciplines and application domains, including healthcare, transportation, lifeline infrastructure, the service industry, etc., that have interest in or are related to disaster response, business continuity planning, or modeling and simulation.

Potential submissions may include, but are not limited to the following.
1. A survey study of the current status of BCP preparedness in various domains
2. A survey study of disaster response, business continuity, or recovery in past disasters
3. Mathematical or agent-based modeling and simulation of disaster response, including business continuity and recovery
4. Human factors and human modeling and simulation related to disaster response or business continuity and recovery
5. Simulation-based optimization of disaster response, business continuity, or recovery operations
6. Design and evaluation of BCPs
7. Training and education for BC and BC planning
8. A case study on a relevant issue

Additive manufacturing (AM) has undergone rapid development in the last decade, and it has been recognized as a remarkable scientific and industrial technique owing to its capacity to produce parts with complex and functional geometries. Various materials, such as polymers, metals, ceramics, and graphite can be employed to produce end products. However, the lack of intended fusion and the formation of defects during layer construction, due to the continuous fluctuations caused by the interaction of the heat source and material, are drawbacks of this technique. The quality assurance of built parts is therefore critical if the technique is to be further applied in various industrial fields.

This special issue focuses on recent trends in additive manufacturing in order to increase the chatter-free depth of AM technologies. Authors should exhibit a deep understanding of AM processes and their enhancement in order to improve the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracies of built parts. We are also interested in successful industrial applications with optimized configurations, hybrid processes, robotics, material reuse, post processes, and material developments applied to AM techniques.

The World Robot Challenge (WRC), was a competition in which teams from all over the world competed with their robots in one of the 4 categories: Industrial Robotics, Service Robotics, Disaster Robotics, and Junior. From this competition several research outcomes, practical implementations and new knowledge were created. This special issue of JRM aims at offering an opportunity for participants of the WRC to present their work, and their robots that competed in the WRC, and the learnings from this competition and the outcome for future developments in robotics. Scientific contributions in any of the four categories of the WRC are welcome.

With the advancement of information technologies such as IoT and artificial intelligence, digital twins are being introduced into social systems. Digital twins that include explicit models of humans are expected to realize human-machine cooperative systems and health promotion services. However, human beings are still the weakest link in the system, and there are still many issues, such as the understanding and modeling of human behavior, that must be solved for digital twins to become reality. The purpose of this special issue is to summarize the latest research on digital twins including humans, from the development of fundamental technologies to system operation in simulated environments and demonstration fields, and to share the path toward the realization of the digital twin beyond the boundaries of research fields. This IJAT special issue solicits original articles related to digital twins that include human factors. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
* Measurement using IoT devices and XR technologies
* Prediction using human models and behavioral databases
* Improvement/Augmentation of human abilities through sensory intervention and robot technologies
* Human-machine cooperative systems using digital twins including human factors
* Health promotion services using digital twins including human factors
* Digital twins including human factors and ELSI

Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been behind disruptive innovations in every industry. Based on AI techniques, large amounts of data can be converted into actionable insights and predictions. Manufacturers have frequently faced different kinds of challenges, such as unexpected machinery failures or defective product deliveries. Still, the adoption of AI techniques is expected to improve operational efficiency, enable the launch of new products, customize product designs, and plan future financial actions. Recently, manufacturers have been using AI techniques to improve the quality of their products, achieve greater speed and visibility across supply chains, and optimize inventory management.

Given that the attention and interest in AI techniques has been growing rapidly, it is time that the current state of the art of their practical applications be presented. The main aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest AI research and practical case studies of AI techniques in production engineering. Related topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

* Product development and design customization
* Process modeling/simulation
* Process monitoring/control
* CAD/CAM/CAE and generative design
* Predictive maintenance and logistics optimization

We hope this special Issue will contribute to the future research and development efforts of researchers and engineers in the field of production engineering.

Abrasive processing technologies support production processes in various industrial fields, such as the automotive, telecommunications, semiconductor, health care, energy, and aerospace industries. In this era of major changes, known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, advanced abrasive processing technologies that produce cutting-edge devices, machinery, and equipment are needed. Subjects related to abrasive processing are extremely diverse, including environmentally-friendly processing, function generation processing, and ICT fusion processing, in addition to continuing basic subjects such as high-efficiency processing, difficult-to-cut material processing, and ultra/high-precision processing. In order to meet these diversified needs, it is important that advanced abrasive processing technologies that capture the changes of the times be developed. Recently, basic grinding technologies, such as advanced measurement methods of analyzing grinding phenomena, the development of high-performance grinding wheels, and truing and dressing technologies, have progressed. Furthermore, advanced abrasive processing technologies have been developed, including the high-efficiency grinding of next-generation semiconductor materials and high-performance, difficult-to-cut materials, the automation/intelligence of grinding machines, the combining of mechanical energy and physical/chemical energy for grinding, and high-performance surface processing.

This special issue covers the advanced abrasive processing technologies, including grinding, lapping, polishing, abrasive-jet machining, vibration-assisted abrasive machining, magnetic machining, and energy-assisted abrasive machining, etc.

Recent trends, such as the trend toward carbon neutrality and toward a circular economy, indicate that it is increasingly crucial to include environmental sustainability in design and manufacturing. In design, this includes ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, service design, and design for X, such as remanufacturing, refurbishment, repair, and direct reuse (RRRDR). It also includes maintenance, upgrades, recycling, disassembly, and inspection. In manufacturing, it includes sustainable manufacturing, carbon neutralization, reduced 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 the following.

* Design for sustainability: ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, product service system design, design for XaaS, and design for X
* Manufacturing aspects of sustainability: sustainable manufacturing, carbon neutralization in manufacturing, reduced energy and/or resource consumption, digital transformation in manufacturing, and sustainable value chain management
* Business and social aspects of sustainability: SDGs, circular economy, ecobusiness planning, product service system business, sharing business, and environmental legislation
* Planning and design of sustainable infrastructure systems: “smart” cities, zero energy buildings, circular economy platforms, and sensor-networks for environmental monitoring
* Scenario planning and/or analysis for sustainability
* Energy management and new energy technologies

[Special announcement for EcoDesign 2021 speakers]
We cannot accept manuscripts that appear in the Springer E-book unless they have been significantly altered. However, we can accept manuscripts that appear only in the Proceedings of EcoDesign 2021.

As the calculation speed of computers has increased, input and output devices such as cameras and displays have become faster, and the delays (latency) inherent in conventional systems have been approaching elimination. As a result, general-purpose system design principles based on high-speed image processing technology, including high-speed robotics, visual feedback, high-speed tracking, markerless tracking, dynamic projection mapping (DPM), low-latency video processing technologies, and others, have been created. These have enabled us to achieve not only high-speed (1,000 fps), but also sophisticated algorithms for handling rich information contents, and these algorithms have contributed to a more comfortable information environment. In particular, it is expected that a new dimension of information environment systems with millisecond-order motion characteristics in crosscutting fields such as multimedia, robotics, human-robot interaction, sports science, and others, will be realized. In this special issue, we focus on high-speed vision and its applications for next-generation information environment systems. We welcome papers pertaining to, but not limited to, the following topics:
 • High-speed vision
 • High-speed image processing algorithms
 • High-speed tracking
 • High-speed adaptive optics
 • High-speed robotics
 • Hardware for high-speed robotics
 • Sensor fusion
 • Dynamic manipulation
 • Human-machine cooperation
 • Visual feedback
 • Micro-visual feedback
 • Intelligent systems
 • Sensor networks
 • Active vision
 • 3D shape recognition
 • Gesture recognition
 • High-speed projectors
 • Realistic displays
 • Dynamic projection mapping
 • Dynamic interaction
 • Factory automation and inspection
 • Security
 • Bio-medical applications
 • Multi-media applications
 • Sports science
 • Human interface

In recent years, the field of robots for medical applications has expanded rapidly. These robots effectively augment their operators’ skills, enabling them to be highly accurate and precise in performing complex procedures. As the use of robots improves both the patients’ quality of life and the quality of medical research, the research and development of robots for medical applications will become more active in aging societies. For safer and more intelligent robot operation, it is important to improve their usability, improve their functionality, and integrate them with technologies such as augmented reality.
This special issue focuses on robot design and control as well as on integrated technologies for robots for medical applications, such as navigation, simulator, image guidance, training, and robot validation.

“Hyper-adaptability” is the capability of the brain and nervous system to manage the impairment of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions by reactivating and recruiting pre-existing networks that are latent but available. To learn about hyper-adaptability, interdisciplinary research integrating mathematical modeling and robotic technologies with neuroscience findings will be important. This special issue focuses on systems science/engineering research to clarify the mechanisms of hyperadaptability, and it widely welcomes papers related to the adaptation mechanisms of humans, animals, and robots, including, but not limited to, the following topics:
– Mathematical modeling of brain functions
– Computational principle of hyper-adaptability
– Modeling of the neuro-musculoskeletal system
– Robotic intervention for neuro-rehabilitation
– Analysis of brain dynamics in adaptation

[in Japanese]
本特集号では，福島第一原子力発電所廃炉に関する人材育成のために，全国の高専生を対象として開催されている「廃炉創造ロボコン」の成果を世界に発信することを目的としています．「廃炉創造ロボコン」は福島第一原子力発電所廃炉に関する課題をテーマとして2016年から，福島県楢葉町の日本原子力研究開発機構楢葉遠隔技術開発センターを会場として開催しています．従来のロボコンとは異なり，夏休み中に福島第一原子力発電所や福島の現状を正しく理解するためのサマースクールに参加し，そこで得られた知識をロボット開発に活かします．高専生の柔軟な発想と高い技術力が廃炉の現場に役立つと期待しています．2018年の第3回廃炉創造ロボコンからMalaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology（マレーシア）の学生も参加しています．これまでの5回の大会で各高専が開発したロボットの機構や制御手法，アイデアや知見を共有し，廃炉の現場に役立て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．

[in English]
This special issue aims to make available to a global audience the outcomes of the “Creative Robot Contest for Decommissioning.” These contests have been held for students of national technical colleges with the aim of developing human resources capable of engaging in the decommissioning of the nuclear reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The contests, held at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development in Narahamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan since 2016, adopt as themes the various issues involved in decommissioning the nuclear reactors of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Unlike in the case of conventional robot contests, the student contestants attend a special summer school to accurately comprehend the status quo of both the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and Fukushima Prefecture as a whole so that they may utilize the knowledge they acquire to develop their own robots for the decommissioning work. We hope that the students’ flexible thinking and high technological strengths prove to be very useful on the sites of the decommissioning work. Students of the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (in Malaysia) have also been participating since the third contest 2018. We would like to share, on a global basis, the mechanisms, control methods, innovations, and knowledge of the robots that individual technical college teams have developed in the past five “Creative Robot Contest for Decommissioning” in the service of the sites of nuclear reactor decommissioning work.
It is in this context that we cordially invite contributions of articles to this special issue.
https://www.fujipress.jp/main/wp-content/uploads/JRMCFP_34-3E.pdf

Actuators are components that are essential to the moving, manipulating, or deforming of
objects. Historically, conventional electromagnetic motors as well as pneumatic and hydraulic
actuators have been developed to sophistication. In the past several decades, however, many
other kinds of novel principle actuators have also been proposed. These have employed physical
or/and chemical effects, such as piezoelectric, electrostatic, or giant magnetostrctive effects, as
well as thermal expansion, phase transformation, or ion mobility in polymers. These actuators
have been embedded not only in conventional machines but also in smart ones such as robots,
electric vehicles, data storage devices, and manufacturing equipment by combining the actuators
with the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, there is no doubt that the technologies involved
in the development of novel actuators and the improvement of their efficiency are key to the
achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), as actuators currently consume a huge
aggregate amount of energy. The actuators have the potential to be central to the development of
innovative machines.

This special issue will collect contributions related (but not limited) to the following topics.
* Design and analysis of actuators: high torque and/or power density actuators, precision
actuators, soft actuators, miniaturized or micro actuators, multiple-degree-of-freedom
actuators, linear motors, self-sensing actuators, composites and smart structures.
* Related topics: control strategies, driving circuits, materials, mechanisms.
* Applications: robotics, positioning systems, science, technologies, aerospace, harsh
environments, health care, virtual reality, arts, education, entertainment and industries.
* Case studies.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been proposed, and various research and development activities geared toward the realization of smart factories have become extremely active. The smart factories are to use system thinking and data thinking IoT technologies in manufacturing.
In smart factories developed individually within a company, the direction of the development activities is changing drastically. Regarding common technologies, research activities and fusibility case study activities that are collaborations among industry, academia, and government and that show consideration and awareness of ecosystems are becoming active. In Japan, several initiatives support these activities. One of these initiatives, Industrial Value Chain Initiative (IVI), has conducted more than 200 research and demonstration activities toward the establishment of smart factories.
This special issue addresses the latest in advanced research on smart factories. We cordially invite you to submit papers on the topic to share your experiences and achievements with our many interested readers and researchers.
“Smart factory” includes, but is not limited to, the Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), digital twins, cloud base technologies, production management technologies, supply chain management technologies, simulation technologies, maintenance technologies, machine to machine (M2M), sensor networks, and facility technologies.

The idea of Self-Optimizing Machining Systems (SOMS) has been proposed in the
era of Industry 4.0. In order to optimize for productivity, quality, and efficiency
in manufacturing, each component technology related to machining processes such
as CAD/CAM, process modeling/simulation, machine tool use, process monitoring/
control, workpiece assessment, etc. has been developed independently, although
the interactions among these component technologies determine the final
machining performance and the quality of the products. SOMS deals with the
information links among these components. Viewed from the opposite side, these
links and functionalities could be combined to develop comprehensive SOMS.
Nevertheless, an intensive implementation and combination of these technologies
has yet to catch up with the state-of-the-art industrial level. Industry 4.0 requires
that SOMS undergo further research and development.

This Special Issue focuses on SOMS research trends, with an emphasis on the
interactions among process modelling/simulation and process monitoring/
control. We hope this Special Issue will contribute to the future research and
development efforts of researchers and engineers in the field of manufacturing and
machining systems.

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.

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.

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!