Meeting Young Researchers

Profile

Kojiro IIZUKA

Research Area:
Robotics, Terramechanics, Space Robots, Control Engineering, Mechanical Design, Sports Engineering
Contact:
3-15-1 Tokida, Ueda-shi, Nagano-ken
Japan 386-8567
E-mail: iizuka[at-mark]shinshu-u.ac.jp
URL:
http://www.nexyzbb.ne.jp/~cozzy-i/

Employment Experience:
1999.4-2003.5 :
TP Key Units Engineering Group, Seiko Epson Corporation

2006.4-2007.3:
Technical Staff, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University

2007.4-2008.7:
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University

2008.8-:
Assistant Professor, International Young Researcher Empowerment Center, Shinshu University


Education:
1997.3:
Department of Mechanical Systems and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Bachelor degree of Engineering

1993.3:
Department of Mechanical Systems and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Graduate school of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Master degree of Engineering

2006.3:
Department of Space and Astronautical, School of Physical Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies [SOKENDAI], Doctor degree of Engineering


Selected Publications:
  • K.Iizuka, Y.Sato, Y.Kuroda, T.Kubota, “Experimental Study for Rover Mobility on Lunar Simulant Terrain in Vacuum Condition,” Journal of Asian Electric Vehicles, Vol.4, No.1, pp.857-860, 2006
  • K.Iizuka, Y.Sato, Y.Kuroda, T.Kubota, “Study on Traversability with consideration of Wheeled Forms for Lunar and Planetary Exploration Rovers,” Journal of The Japan of Society of Mechanical Engineers (in Japanese), pp.148-153, Vol.72, No.724, C, 2006
  • K.Iizuka, Y.Kunii, T.Kubota, “Study on Wheeled Forms of Lunar Robots considering Elactic Characteristic for Traversing Soft Terrain,” Journal of The Japan of Society of Mechanical Engineers (in Japanese), Vol.74, No.748, C, 2008

Domestic Patent:
  • 4032336, Recording Device for Inkjet using Tubes
  • 3896773, Recording Device for Inkjet
  • 3812809, Recording Device for Inkjet
  • 3855692, Equipping Printer for a Vehicle with Slant type
  • 3671974, Jet Device using Liquid

International Patent:
  • 6578949, Ink jet recording device and method of driving and controlling the same
  • 6595616, Ink jet type recording apparatus
  • 6966624, Liquid spraying device
  • 20020036671, Ink jet recording device and method of driving and controlling the Same
  • 20020063748, Ink jet type recording apparatus

Research Statement

Robots for traversing lunar surface are required to move on rough terrains such as in craters and rear cliffs where it is scientifically very important to explore. Recently, wheel typed rovers are popular for planetary exploration missions [NASA/JPL]. However, there is a problem that the wheel typed rovers have possibility of stack. Because the lunar surface is very soft ground and not equipped with infrastructure like the earth. Therefore, this study investigates a mechanism of kinetic behavior between the wheels of the exploration robots and soil. The important parameters are extracted by considering the mechanism. This project proposes an elastic wheel by considering the important parameters. The elastic wheel has the surface which can be changed flexibly toward rough terrain. Running experiments on soil which imitated regolith are carried out to observe the traversability of the elastic wheel using slip ratio and sinkage. Moreover, this study will carry out the control; “Traction Control" using threes results with high performance traversability. This project is performed with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).