Dr. Kenji Kimura
Control Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Matsue College, Matsue, Shimane, Japan
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Academic Career Length
11Years (2016-Present)
(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)
Representative Publications
View All Publications1 January 2019 in Journal of Robotics, Networking and Artificial Life
Journal Article
Many mobile robots that use spherical locomotion employ friction-drive systems because such systems offer omnidirectional locomotion and are more capable of climbing steps than omni-wheel systems. One notable issue associated with friction-drive systems is slipping between the sphere and the roller. However, previously established sphere kinematics models do not consider slipping. This study proposes a mathematical model that allows for slipping and can be broadly applied to a variety of mobile robots in a range of situations.
29 December 2016
Conference Paper
Kenji KimuraKIKazuo Ishii
Kazuo Ishii
YTYasunori Takemura
Yasunori Takemura
MYMotoji Yamamoto
Motoji Yamamoto
The sphere kinematics has been discussed in the research field of multi-fingers grasping, mobile robot motion control driven by a sphere, ball handling, etc. In the multi-fingers grasping problem, a sphere and a plane correspond to a spherical finger and a cuboid object are used and the contact points of the sphere are analyzed. The mobile robot driven by a sphere is modeled as an inverted pendulum using a ball, and can move in any direction without changing orientation. The ball handling mechanism is discussed in the RoboCup soccer robot, which enables the robot to carry a ball with it. We consider that these problems are categorized as sphere kinematics, the relation between velocities of contact points and sphere motion, and discuss the sphere motion driven by two-wheel actuator with arbitral contact points on the sphere.
1 January 2019 in Journal of Robotics, Networking and Artificial Life
Journal Article
The middle-size league soccer competition is an important RoboCup event designed to promote advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. In recent years, soccer robots using a dribbling mechanism, through which the ball is controlled using two driving rollers, have been adopted by teams worldwide. A survey conducted during the 2017 World Cup in Nagoya revealed that the teams determined their roller arrangements heuristically without the use of a formal mathematical process. In this study, we focus on sphere slip speed to develop a mathematical model for sphere rotational motion, allowing for slip. Using this framework, we derived the relationship between the sphere slip and mobile speeds and evaluated the roller arrangements used by the participating teams.
21 January 2021 in Proceedings of International Conference on Artificial Life and Robotics
Journal Article
Kenji KimuraKIKazuo Ishii
Kazuo Ishii
25 July 2024
Conference Paper
Kenji KimuraKIKazuo Ishii
Kazuo Ishii
In recent years, efficient mobility is required for omni-directional mobile robots in the logistics industry. There are various types of rollers mounted on mobile robots. Among them, omni-directional rollers (omni roller) are considered to have excellent omni-directional mobility and easy control. Assuming a circular mechanism, kinematics has been derived assuming an arbitrary arrangement along this circumference, and several studies have evaluated roller arrangements in terms of the speed efficiency of the driving rollers. To evaluate the roller arrangement, kinematics is necessary, in which not only the contact position of the rollers but also the direction is a parameter. In this study, kinematics is derived for a mobile robot equipped with three omni-rollers, with the contact position and direction of the rollers as parameters, and the behaviors of the roller velocity is investigated for the robot's movement in all directions.
22 February 2024 in Proceedings of International Conference on Artificial Life and Robotics
Journal Article
Kenji KimuraYTYouta Takano
Youta Takano
About Me
Kenji Kimura, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Control Engineering at the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Matsue College, Japan. He received his Master's degree in Mathematics and worked as a high school mathematics teacher for approximately 20 years before earning his Ph.D. in 2020. His interdisciplinary career spans mathematics, robotics, and engineering education.
His research interests include mobile robotics, omni-wheel and omni-roller mechanisms, spherical mechanisms, robot kinematics, and mechanism design. In particular, his research focuses on the mathematical modeling and analysis of roller-driven spherical motion, including constrained and unconstrained kinematics, singularity analysis, and the systematic design of robotic mechanisms.
Drawing on his extensive experience in mathematics education, he is also actively engaged in STEAM education, exploring approaches that integrate mathematics, engineering, robotics, and hands-on problem solving. His current work bridges mathematical theory, robotic mechanism design, and STEAM education.