Department of Department of Mechanical and Precision Systems Faculty of Science and Engineering Engineering, Teikyo University
Associate Professor
Professor Yoshito Ikemata?
Completed doctoral course at Nagoya Institute of Technology Graduate Graduate School. From Graduate School, engaged in research on passive walking robots and became a specially appointed Assistant Professor at the same university. In 2009, a passive walking robot developed by the team achieved continuous walking for more than 13 hours and was certified as a Guinness World Record?. Appointed to current position in 2012.
The passive walking robot was born by Dr. Tad McGear of Canada, who was an aeronautical engineering expert. It crumbled after a few steps, but the impact it had on the world was immeasurable, and Dr. Ikenamata was immersed in research to pursue the principle of bipedal locomotion after seeing the research video of Dr. Ikemata.
When a ball is rolled downhill, it accelerates, but humans try to "stabilize" it by controlling it so that it does not accelerate with each step so that it can walk at a constant speed. Dr. Ikenata deduced that the key to walking for a long period of time is to create an "equilibrium point" where you can keep moving your feet with a certain rhythm, and to "stabilize" this.
After that, he continued to be in a painful stray state, but he broke through the situation with the words "Don't think complicatedly, think simply" that he happened to see. Developed a robot that can walk hundreds of steps by constraining the stride length to be constant. In 2005, he succeeded in deriving the principle of generating and stabilizing an equilibrium point, and in 2009 he was recognized as a Guinness World Record for continuous walking for over 13 hours.
Dr. McGear, a pioneer, is also actively conducting analysis using simple structures, such as building a structure like a spinning wheel that rolls down a slope at a constant speed. The mechanism of the final robot is complicated, but if the principle is clarified, it will lead to the discovery of great value, and we can surely move forward.
Pursuing a principle also opens the door to the next principle. Professor Ikenata's research will also lead to the development of science, such as the development of walking support for the elderly and people with disabilities, and the development of walking support equipment. The same is true for the SDGs, which pursue 17 goals. The data and knowledge accumulated in the process of pursuing principles can be a powerful step forward for civilization.