Ken Sasaki／Professor／Division of Environmental Studies

Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies／／Mechatronics, Human machine interface

http://www.ems.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

Career Summary

1980: Graduated, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
1982: Master of Engineering from The University of Tokyo
1982: NEC Corporation
1985: Research Associate, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
1986: Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
1987: Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo
1996: Visiting Researcher, Stanford University (10 months)
2004: Professor, The University of Tokyo

Graduate School of Frontier Sciences: Mechatronics for Environmental Studies, Environmental Planning
Graduate School of Engineering: Mechatronics for human environment
Faculty of Engineering: Control Engineering 1, Mechatronics System Design

1)Virtual reality for CAD/CAE of mechanical switches used in cars.
A haptic interface device creates a virtual feeling of a switch motion based on mechanical
properties obtained from CAD/CAE tools. This enables the designers to evaluate the
physical properties of the switches without fabricating prototypes.

2)Intra-body communication for body centric networks.
The human body is utilized as a part of the transmission medium for communication by
wearable information devices and peripheral devices. Conventional transmission model based
on capacitve coupling among the devices is not sufficient for explaining transmission
characteristics. We are refining the transmission model by incorporating the analogy of loading
elements used in linear antennae.


Prototype of transmitter/receiver for intra-body communication



Electrodes on the back of the transmitter



Data transmission from wrist to a fingertip

3)R-R interval measurement by capacitive coupling.
The R-R interval in electrocardiogram (ECG) fluctuates according to individual physical and mental state.
We are trying to measure the R-R interval of a car driver. Although ECG is obtained
easily by using two electrodes on a steering wheel, many drivers do not always use both hands.
The other terminal is taken from an electrode embedded in the driver's seat which forms a capacitive
coupling with the driver's body. The aim of this research is to reduce the fluctuation caused
by body motion inherent in ECG measurements using capacitive coupling.

1)Keisuke Hachisuka, Yusuke Terauchi, Yoshinori Kishi, Ken Sasaki, Terunao Hirota, Hiroshi Hosaka,
Katsuyuki Fujii, Masaharu Takahashi, Koichi Ito, "Simplified circuit modeling and fabrication of intrabody
communication devices", Sensors and Actuators A 130-131, pp.322-330 (2006)

Japan Society of Precision Engineering (JSPE)
Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ)
The Horological Institute of Japan
Japan Institute of ElectronicsPackaging (JIEP)
The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers
Japan Society of Computer Aided Surgery (JSCAS)

Application of mechatronics and signal processing in devices to enrich our lives.

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