Editorial:
Special Issue on Systems Science of Hyper-Adaptability
Toshiyuki Kondo, Jun Ota, Ryosuke Chiba, Qi An, and Kyo Kutsuzawa
Professor, Division of Advanced Information Technology and Computer Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
Professor, Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering (RACE), School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University
2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-higashi, Asahikawa, Hokkaido 078-8510, Japan
Associate Professor, Department of Human and Environmental Engineered Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
1-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan
Assistant Professor, Department of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
6-6-01 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
“Hyper-adaptability” is the capability of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to manage the impairment of sensory, motor, and cognitive functions by reactivating and recruiting pre-existing networks that are latent but available. In studying hyper-adaptability, interdisciplinary research that integrates mathematical modeling and robotic technologies with neuroscience findings is important. Thanks to support from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in the form of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, the Hyper-adaptability Research Project started in July 2019.
The research works reported in this special issue are the latest achievements of the Hyper-adaptability Research Project. The special issue consists of three review articles and 10 research papers. These contributions cover a wide range of hyper-adaptability research activities, including neurophysiological experiments, functional neuroimaging, mathematical modeling of brain and musculoskeletal systems, cognitive psychological experiments, and robotic / virtual reality interventions for neurorehabilitation, carried out to clarify the mechanisms of hyper-adaptability.
We thank the authors for submitting their latest achievements and the reviewers for dedicating their time and effort to the review process. We also thank the editorial board of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics for supporting the publication of this special issue.
This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.