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Masashi Konyo

31 accepted papers

2026

Drone Landing Performance in Windy Conditions: Comparing the Vertical and Horizontal Landing Approaches with the EAGLES Port

Iuri Pereira Barros, Yoshito Okada, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Masashi Konyo, Kazunori Ohno +3
ICRA 2026poster

Drone docking stations promote efficient operations of drones, but they usually support only one vehicle, and are accessible primarily through vertical landing. These limitations hinder multi-drone operations and result in challenges for fast, precise docking, particularly under severe wind conditio…

Cited by 0Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Inflated Bendable Eversion Cantilever Mechanism With Inner Skeleton for Increased Stiffness

Tomoya Takahashi, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Abe, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Naoto Saiki, Masashi Konyo +1
RA-L 2023

Inflatable structures used in soft robotics applications have unique characteristics. In particular, the tip-extension structure, which extends the structure from its tip, can grow without creating friction with the environment. However, these inflatable structures need high pressure to maintain the

Cited by 13Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Permanent-Magnetically Amplified Robotic Gripper With Less Clamping Width Influence on Compensation Realized by a Stepless Width Adjustment Mechanism

Tori Shimizu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Abe, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2023

Machines such as robotic grippers use powerful actuators or gearboxes to exert large loads at the expense of energy consumption, volume, and mass. We propose a stepless force amplification mechanism that assists clamping by a pair of permanent magnets, in which the external control force required to

Cited by 0Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Translational Disturbance Rejection for Jet-Actuated Flying Continuum Robots on Mobile Bases

Yukihiro Maezawa, Yuichi Ambe, Yu Yamauchi, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2023

Although continuum robots have the potential to operate in narrow areas by changing their shapes and propelling their bodies, they easily vibrate under sudden or periodic applications of external forces. Suppressing vibrations is difficult in our jet-actuated continuum robot because the movements of

Cited by 6Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Experimental Study of the Mechanical Properties of a Spherical Parallel Link Mechanism With Arc Prismatic Pairs

Naoto Saiki, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Abe, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2022

A two-degrees-of-freedom spherical parallel link mechanism (2-DOF SPM) was designed to ensure that it only has rotational degrees of freedom in two directions around a fixed center. In general, 2-DOF SPM includes passive rotating pairs, and at least two actuators are needed to change the end-effecto

Cited by 2Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Highly Articulated Tube Mechanism With Variable Stiffness and Shape Restoration Using a Pneumatic Actuator

Issei Onda, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Abe, Tetsuyou Watanabe, Masashi Konyo +1
RA-L 2022

Recently, soft robotics research has focused on mechanisms to control the stiffness of robot structures. There are several types of variable stiffness mechanisms that can change the stiffness of such structures by altering friction force. Among these, the negative-pressurization method applies negat

Cited by 8Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

LayoutSLAM: Object Layout based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping for Reducing Object Map Distortion

Kenta Gunji, Kazunori Ohno, Shotaro Kojima, Ranulfo Bezerra, Yoshito Okada, Masashi Konyo +1
IROS 2022poster

There is an increasing demand for robots that can be substituted for humans in various tasks. Mobile robots are being introduced in factories, stores, and public facilities for carrying goods and cleaning. In factories and stores, desks and shelves are arranged such that the work and movement of per…

Cited by 5Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Permanent-Magnetically Amplified Brake Mechanism Compensated and Stroke-Shortened by a Multistage Nonlinear Spring

Tori Shimizu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuki Abe, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2022

Electromagnetic (EM) brakes are widely used but consume electricity continuously to maintain their activated state. In this letter, for efficient braking and idling of robots and vehicles, we proposed a concept of a brake mechanism using a permanent magnet for the amplification of the pressing force

Cited by 1Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Toroidal Origami Monotrack: Mechanism to Realize Smooth Driving and Bending for Closed-Skin-Drive Robots

Masahiro Watanabe, Yuto Kemmotsu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Kazuki Abe, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2022poster

We propose a novel toroidal origami monotrack capable of smooth-skin driving and bending for closed-skin-drive robots. Monotracks are a promising solution for achieving high mobility in unstructured environments. Toroidal-drive mechanisms enable whole skin drive; however, conventional methods experi…

Cited by 2Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

2-DOF Spherical Parallel Mechanism Capable of Biaxial Swing Motion with Active Arc Sliders

Naoto Saiki, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Eri Takane, Masashi Nobutoki, Shintaro Suzuki +2
RA-L 2021

Most articulated robots comprise multiple joints and links that control the position and posture of the end effector. The kinematic pair arrangement determines characteristics such as output force. The link configurations can be classified as serial link and parallel link mechanisms. A typical paral

Cited by 8Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Amplification of Clamping Mechanism Using Internally-Balanced Magnetic Unit

Tori Shimizu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Eri Takane, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2021poster

Machines tend to use powerful actuators and large gearboxes to bear large loads, which are inconvenient in terms of responsiveness as they affect the duration of operations. Thus, to compensate the force to grasp an object, we propose a clamping mechanism implementing the internally-balanced magneti…

Cited by 1Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Eversion Robotic Mechanism With Hydraulic Skeletonto Realize Steering Function

Tomoya Takahashi, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Eri Takane, Natsumi Hookabe, Hiroshi Kajihara +3
RA-L 2021

For rescue or endoscope applications, snake-like robots have been extensively studied to access and explore confined spaces, such as small-diameter holes or complicated debris. Among them, eversion robot which can evert their flexible surface membrane to extend, exhibit high-mobility performance, ev

Cited by 26Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Internally-Balanced Displacement-Force Converter for Stepless Control of Spring Deformation Compensated by Cam With Variable Pressure Angle

Tori Shimizu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Eri Takane, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2021

The force required to drive a mechanism can be compensated by adding an equivalent load in the opposite direction. By reversing the input and output of the load compensation, we proposed the concept of a displacement-force converter that enables the deformation of the elastic element to be controlle

Cited by 1Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Passive Orientation Control of Nozzle Unit With Multiple Water Jets to Expand the Net Force Direction Range for Aerial Hose-Type Robots

Yu Yamauchi, Yuichi Ambe, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2021

Fluid injection has promising potential as a novel actuation approach for robots to enable the rapid switching of large forces. We have proposed a nozzle unit with multiple active rotating nozzles for controlling the magnitude and direction of the net force simultaneously. However, a new fundamental

Cited by 10Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Two-Sheet Type Rotary-Driven Thin Bending Mechanism Realizing High Stiffness

Tomoya Takahashi, Masahiro Watanabe, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Eri Takane, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2021

Thin construction is an advantage in the design of mechanisms. Among them, the soft-bending thin sheet actuator can fit into the shape of an object and grasp it after inserting a finger into a narrow space. However, to facilitate bending, these mechanisms are thin or made of soft materials, which le

Cited by 2Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Bundled Rotary Helix Drive Mechanism Capable of Smooth Peristaltic Movement

Masahiro Watanabe, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2020

Herein, we focus on the design method of a robot, named Wave Wheel, capable of generating a smooth continuous peristaltic wave, which is driven by a bundled rotary helix drive mechanism. Wave Wheel mainly consists of a braided mesh tube, multiple helices that are arranged on the circumference, and s

Cited by 12Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Internally-Balanced Magnetic Mechanisms Using a Magnetic Spring for Producing a Large Amplified Clamping Force

Tori Shimizu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masahiro Watanabe, Eri Takane, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
ICRA 2020poster

To detach a permanent magnet using a control force much smaller than its original attractive force, the internally-balanced magnetic unit (IB Magnet) was invented. It has been applied to magnetic devices such as wall-climbing robots, ceiling-dangling drones, and modular swarm robots. In contrast to…

Cited by 7Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Radial-Layer Jamming Mechanism for String Configuration

Rio Mukaide, Masahiro Watanabe, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Yu Ozawa, Tomoya Takahashi, Masashi Konyo +1
RA-L 2020

In the soft robotics field, soft structures are required for safe human interactions, adaptive shape grippers, and haptic interfaces. Conversely, rigid structures are necessary for high force transmission devices and precise position control applications. The tunable stiffness mechanism is a crucial

Cited by 22Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Retraction Mechanism of Soft Torus Robot With a Hydrostatic Skeleton

Tomoya Takahashi, Masahiro Watanabe, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
RA-L 2020

Soft robots have attracted much attention in recent years owing to their high adaptability. Long articulated soft robots enable diverse operations, and tip-extending robots that navigate their environment through growth are highly effective in robotic search applications. Robots that extend from the

Cited by 17Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

A Mechanical Approach to Suppress the Oscillation of a Long Continuum Robot Flying With Water Jets

Tomoka Yamaguchi, Yuichi Ambe, Hisato Ando, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Shigenao Maruyama +1
RA-L 2019

Flexible continuum robots exhibit a strong potential for approaching narrow and intricate spaces. However, such long flexible bodies often experience oscillations, making them unstable. To enhance their performance in order to realize rapid and precise movements, unnecessary vibrations should be sup

Cited by 20Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

Basic Performance of Planar Omnidirectional Crawler during Direction Switching using Disturbance Degree of Ground Evaluation Method

Eri Takane, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Tori Shimizu, Sosuke Hayashi, Masahiro Watanabe, Shingo Kagami +3
IROS 2019poster

We introduced the disturbance degree of ground and proposed an evaluation method to measure the mobile performance of a crawler on soft ground during direction switching. First, we developed a planar omnidirectional crawler, which had a configuration with two left and right unit crawlers for perform…

Cited by 4Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Aerial Hose Type Robot by Water Jet for Fire Fighting

Hisato Ando, Yuichi Ambe, Akihiro Ishii, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Shigenao Maruyama +1
RA-L 2018

Disaster response, especially fire-fighting and rescue, is highly risky for firefighters engaged in action. As a result, many robots intended for fire-fighting have been proposed. However, it is difficult for them to directly access fire sources because their mobility is limited. Specifically, exist

Cited by 70Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Design and Development of Biaxial Active Nozzle with Flexible Flow Channel for Air Floating Active Scope Camera

Akihiro Ishii, Yuichi Ambe, Yu Yamauchi, Hisato Ando, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma +1
IROS 2018poster

Long flexible continuum robots have a high potential for search and rescue operations that explore deep layered debris. A general problem of these robots is in the control of the head motion because their thin bodies limit the space available to mount multiple actuators. This paper develops a biaxia…

Cited by 23Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Planar Omnidirectional Crawler Mobile Mechanism - Development of Actual Mechanical Prototype and Basic Experiments

Kenjiro Tadakuma, Eri Takane, Masahiro Fujita, Akito Nomura, Hirone Komatsu, Masashi Konyo +1
RA-L 2018

This letter proposes a planar omnidirectional crawler mobile mechanism. This mechanism is the basis for the mobility of search and rescue robots. A planar omnidirectional crawler aims to facilitate penetration into a narrow path and soft or fragile ground. In this letter, the effectiveness of the pr

Cited by 17Source ↗Scholar ↗
2017

A self-locking-type expansion mechanism to achieve high holding force and pipe-passing capability for a pneumatic in-pipe robot

Tomonari Yamamoto, Masashi Konyo, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Satoshi Tadokoro
ICRA 2017poster

This study proposes a self-locking-type expansion mechanism for in-pipe robots. Previously, we proposed a highspeed locomotion mechanism using pneumatic hollow-shaft actuators; however, this mechanism lacked holding force and could not pass through a bent pipe. The proposed mechanism generates a lar…

Cited by 6Source ↗Scholar ↗
2017

Collision representation using vibrotactile cues to bimanual impact localization for mobile robot operations

Daniel Gongora, Hikaru Nagano, Yosuke Suzuki, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
ICRA 2017poster

Unnoticed collisions compromise the success of remote exploratory tasks with mobile robots. We propose a vibrotactile stimulation method to represent frontal collisions that is based on the way people perceive impacts on a bar held with both hands. We observed that to estimate the impact point in a…

Cited by 5Source ↗Scholar ↗
2016

Development of a spherical tether-handling device with a coupled differential mechanism for tethered teleoperated robots

Tomoya Ichimura, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Eri Takane, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2016poster

Tethered robots often experience entangling of their cables with obstacles in uncertain disaster environments. This paper proposes a spherical tether handling device that unfastens a robot's tether during surveys by releasing the tether and carrying it aside. By using a differential mechanism, the d…

Cited by 4Source ↗Scholar ↗
2016

Visuo-haptic transmission of contact information improve operation of Active Scope Camera

Takahito Funamizu, Hikaru Nagano, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2016poster

Disaster response robots for searching in a narrow area have limited space to mount tactile sensors, but the operators require sensory feedback to recognize contact situations with the surrounding environment. This study proposes a new approach to transmitting contact information of a remote-operate…

Cited by 10Source ↗Scholar ↗
2015

A high-speed locomotion mechanism using pneumatic hollow-shaft actuators for in-pipe robots

Tomonari Yamamoto, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2015poster

This study proposes a high-speed locomotion mechanism for a pipe-inspection robot. As a result of the narrow and complex structures of pipeline networks, it is difficult for robots to move quickly within the pipes. The new pneumatic mechanism proposed here realizes high-speed locomotion along with a…

Cited by 27Source ↗Scholar ↗
2015

Evaluating human motor function of lower limbs in periodic motion during pedaling exercise

Tomohiro Miyazaki, Fumi Seto, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
IROS 2015poster

The purpose of this study is to establish a quantitative method that can evaluate the motor function of human lower limbs in dynamic situations. As an index of motor function, we focus on the mechanical impedance characteristics of the lower limbs. By controlling these characteristics, humans can im…

Cited by 0Source ↗Scholar ↗
2015

Microphone-accelerometer based 3D posture estimation for a hose-shaped rescue robot

Yoshiaki Bando, Katsutoshi Itoyama, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro, Kazuhiro Nakadai, Kazuyoshi Yoshii +1
IROS 2015poster

3D posture estimation for a hose-shaped robot is critical in rescue activities due to complex physical environments. Conventional sound-based posture estimation assumes rather flat physical environments and focuses only on 2D, resulting in poor performance in real world environments with rubble. Thi…

Cited by 16Source ↗Scholar ↗