“Engineering Design for Supporting Human Function” is a new engineering that combines the three research fields of “medical function + cognitive recognition + robotic function” with “design thinking” to implement these in society. Engineering Design for Supporting Human Function, this department will set up 12 laboratories categorized into these three research fields. In addition, the educational two courses, “Medical Function Engineering Course” and “Athletic Function Engineering Course”, are prepared for cultivating the academic ability necessary for the research works.
Research Groups & Research Areas
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Medical Function Design
This engineering research field is concerned with finding ways to aid metabolism-related functions occurring in the human body. It is comprised of laboratories which focus on materials, mechanobiology, nanodevices and biologistics. The best of nanotechnology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical science are marshaled together to drive and develop research in this field.
Sera Research Group / Kamimura Research Group / Umezawa Research Group
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Cognitive Function Design
This engineering research field is concerned with finding ways to aid the information processing-related functions occurring in the human brain. It is comprised of laboratories which focus on photonics, image processing, health cognition and designology. Light science, image processing, data science and media design are used to drive and develop research in this field.
Mori Research Group / Soga Research Group / Watanabe Research Group
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Robotic Function Design
This research field is concerned with exploring engineering which aids human limb functioning. It is comprised of laboratories which focus on robotics, para-sports engineering, humanoid motor function and humanoid control. We tackle the development of novel robotic limb functions, as well as their control, through cutting-edge engineering and the power of mathematics.
Hobara Research Group / Kai Research Group / Matsumoto Research Group / Yoshida Research Group
List of Faculty Members
| Name | Title | Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| KAMIMURA Masao | Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (Biomaterials, Theranostics, Bioimaging) Polymer chemistry (Polymer biomaterials) Cell biology (Mechanobiology) Medical pharmacy (Drug Delivery System, Nanomedicine) |
| KIKUCHI Akihiko | Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (Biomaterials, functional polymers, drug delivery systems, regenerative medicine) |
| MATSUMOTO Yoshio | Professor | Intelligent robotics (service robotics, assistive robotics, interaction, real-world) Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering (assistive technology, welfare device, elderly care, communication) Hygiene and public health (nursing care/welfare, receipt analysis, big data) |
| MORI Taketoshi | Professor | Perceptual information processing (Sensor data information processing, sensor networks) Human interface and interaction (Robotic interface, virtual reality, metaverse) Intelligent informatics (Machine learning, knowledge acquisition, natural language processing, data mining, ontolog) Intelligent robotics (Intelligent house, Intelligent environment, Robotic room, Sensing room, Sensor room) Life/Health/Medical informatics (Medical Information, Diagnostic Imaging, Remote Diagnosis Treatment, Health Information, H) Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (Imaging, biological modeling, biological simulation, biometric measurements) Medical systems (Ultrasound systems, imaging systems, minimally invasive treatment systems) Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering (Nursing Science and Engineering, Healthcare Engineering, AI) Fundamental nursing (Nursing Engineering, Elderly Care, Nursing Technology) |
| SERA Toshihiro | Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (Biologistics, Imaging) Fluid engineering (Biofluid) |
| SOGA Kohei | Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (bio imaging, imuno assay) Inorganic materials/Physical properties (Rare earth, Phoshpor) |
| WATANABE Toshiyuki | Professor | Design science (Medical communication design, Dynamic visualization) |
| YAMAUCHI Nodoka | Professor | Design science (Assistive Technology, Living Environment, Implementation Science) |
| YOSHIDA Eiichi | Professor | Intelligent robotics (Humanoid Robotics, Human Motion Analysis and Understanding) Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems (Robot Motion Planning and Control) |
| HOBARA Hiroaki | Associate Professor | Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering (Biomechanics, Prosthesis) |
| KAI Tatsuya | Associate Professor | Control engineering/System engineering (Nonlinear Systems, Nonlinear Control Theory, Robotics) |
| UMEZAWA Masakazu | Associate Professor | Nanomaterials chemistry (Secondary structure of proteins, Drug delivery) Physical pharmacy (Protein interaction, nanomaterial) Environmental and hygienic pharmacy (Nanoparticle, Exosome, Brain, Bioinformatics, Nutrition, Developmental toxicity) Environmental physiology (including physical medicine and nutritional physiology) (Body temperature of deep tissues) |
| KANG Sooin | Assistant Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (Medical informatics, Bioinstrumentation, Machine learning) |
| MIYANO Takashi | Assistant Professor | Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering (biomedical engineering, cellular biomechanics, pharmacology) Medical and hospital management (medical data analysis) |
| OKADA Masahiro | Assistant Professor | Nanomaterials chemistry (Analytical Chemistry, Porous Material, Extracellular Vesicles) |
| SASAKI Tomoya | Assistant Professor | Human interface and interaction (Virtual Reality, Human Interface) Intelligent robotics (Human Robot Interaction) |
| SHIOMOTO Shiyohei | Assistant Professor | Polymer/Textile materials (Biomaterials, Medical materials, Polymer brushes, Interface chemistry) |
Information on Career Paths
Because this is a new department established in April 2023, no post-graduation employment figures are available; however, it is anticipated that graduates, armed with their engineering knowledge, user perspective-focus and creativity honed by design thinking, will be active in a wide range of fields centered on QOL-support industry companies and others.
Machinery- and equipment-related fields such as medical equipment, surgical assistance robots, disability support equipment, walking assistance robots, work assistance robots and industrial robots; chemical industry fields such as pharmaceuticals, biomaterials and biotechnology; information processing service and information provision service fields such as image processing, information processing and information communication; professional and technical service fields such as management consulting; graduate school; etc.
