Promoting high-profile, cutting-edge research and actively conducting joint research
The Faculty of Science and Engineering conducts a wide variety of research related to advanced science that is attracting attention from academia and industry. To achieve higher results while incorporating ever-changing cutting-edge technologies, we actively promote joint team research that transcends departments and faculties, as well as collaborative research projects with external research institutes and other universities.
Joint Research Projects Between Faculties and Departments
Description: Development of a Quantitative Analysis Method for Mouse Mother-Infant Communication Based on Ultrasonic Cries. Cooperating Departments: Professor Shigeo Uchino, Department of Biosciences; Professor Mitsuhiro Ogawa, Department of Information and Electronic Engineering.
Recently, it has been suggested that newborn mice may communicate with their parent mice using ultrasound. However, it has not been determined whether ultrasonic waves emitted by mice can be considered "communication" because no method has been developed to identify mice transmitting ultrasonic waves in a population of nursing newborn mice, and the interconnectedness of ultrasonic waves sent by multiple mice has not been analyzed. Therefore, it has not been determined whether ultrasound emitted by mice can be considered "communication." This research is a joint interdepartmental project between the Department of Biosciences and the Department of Information and Electronic Engineering to elucidate the operating principles of ultrasonic waves transmitted by mice.
Description: Training Enhancement Project by Pilot Support Team.
Cooperating Faculties and Departments: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Judo Therapy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Comprehensive Basic Courses.
Pilots are the power source and engine of human-powered aircraft that aim to fly farther. To improve the pilot's performance, the engines of human-powered aircraft, a pilot support team consisting of Senior Assistant Professor Takeo Watanabe and Professor Takao Omori from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Yuuki Kemmochi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Judo Therapy, Takeshi Takizawa, Associate Professor of the Comprehensive Basic Courses, and Nurses Ikeda and others are working together to provide special training programs to the pilots. We aim to break the team record by collaborating with the latest measurement and training equipment owned by the Department of Judo Therapy, training theories designed specifically for human-powered aircraft, and the human-powered propeller aircraft produced by the Sky Project human-powered aircraft circle.
Description: Development of High Precision Flight Control and Automatic Takeoff and Landing Control for Multi-rotor Unmanned Helicopter Using Image Recognition. [Collaborating Faculties and Departments: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Information and Electronic Engineering.
Recently, aerial photography, observation, inspection and surveillance, lightweight material transport, and other applications using automated helicopters equipped with four to eight rotors have attracted much attention. In the flight of an automated helicopter, the position and height of the aircraft are measured using GPS and barometric pressure, but these signals usually have an error margin of 1 m to several meters. In addition, GPS signals are often inaccurate or difficult to use when there are obstacles or buildings in the vicinity. Using camera images on the aircraft to precisely recognize the position and height of the aircraft in combination with other sensor signals for control would improve the control accuracy and enable fixed-point landings and other applications of automated helicopters, thereby greatly expanding their range of use. This research goal is to realize high-precision position, height, and automatic takeoff/landing control using image recognition, which is necessary when automated helicopters are used to inspect solar panels and other structures. Among the research projects, the Department of Aerospace Engineering is in charge of control-related issues, and the Department of Information and Electronic Engineering is responsible for image recognition-related tasks.
Research Name: Abrasion Characteristics of Solid Lubricants for Spacecraft in Vacuum and High-Temperature Environments. Department: Professor Keizo Hashimoto, Department of Aerospace Engineering. Joint Research Institute: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Research and Development Division, Satellite Structure and Mechanism Group.
The use of lubricants is essential for spacecraft, which basically cannot be maintained after launch, and the selected lubricant may affect the lifespan of the spacecraft. In addition, the economic loss caused by a single failure of a spacecraft, which requires an enormous cost for development, is at a level that cannot be ignored, and the research and development of lubricants related to the reliability of spacecraft are in an extremely important position. We will analyze tungsten disulfide using XRD and SEM to elucidate the mechanism of super lubrication.
Research Name: Numerical Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction Modeling Study. Department: Associate Professor Masaaki Kawamura, Department of Aerospace Engineering. Joint Research Institute: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Research and Development Division, Research Center for Unexplored Technology.
Current human space activities, represented by the International Space Station (ISS), rely on ground-based transportation for all the water needed for oxygen supply. Therefore, it is essential to establish a system that does not depend on ground-based supply for future long-distance human space activities such as Mars exploration. One potential candidate for such a system is a circulating air regeneration system that links the reduction of carbon dioxide using the Sabatier reaction with the electrolysis of water. This research aims to model the inside of a Sabatier reaction tank using numerical analysis to understand the phenomena of the experiments conducted at JAXA and to establish future life-support technology.
Research Name: Tochigi Food Innovation Strategy Promotion Area "Search and Evaluation of Functional Components for the Promotion of Strawberry Export". Department: Associate Professor Hirofumi Enomoto, Department of Biosciences. Joint Research University: Utsunomiya University, and others.
In July 2014, the Tochigi Prefecture was selected as a Regional Innovation Promotion Region. For the following five years, comprehensive research and development on strawberries, a specialty of this prefecture, will be conducted mainly at Utsunomiya University in collaboration with industry-academia-government. In this project, Associate Professor Hirofumi Enomoto of the Department of Biosciences is conducting research on "Searching and Evaluating Functional Components for the Promotion of Strawberry Exports."
Research Name: Creation of New Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy Based on Epigenome Research (Japan Science and Technology Agency [JST] Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology [CREST] ) / Understanding Brain Functions Based on Histone Lysine Methylation Regulatory System and its Application to Therapeutic Strategies. Department: Associate Professor Takae Hirasawa, Department of Biosciences . Joint Research Institute: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) Yoichi Shinkai Group.
Many biological phenomena require genomic information and mechanisms that control the regulation of such genomic information. The epigenomic regulatory system, which chemically modifies DNA and histone proteins, is a mechanism that regulates genomic information and is involved in many diseases and biological phenomena, from development to cancer, aging, and the development of iPS cell generation technology. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between mutations in H3K9 methyltransferase (EHMT1 in humans), a regulatory mechanism of the epigenomic system, and neurological functions and psychiatric disorders and to develop new therapeutic strategies.
