Osawa, Yukiko

写真a

Affiliation

Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics (Yagami)

Position

Assistant Professor/Senior Assistant Professor

Related Websites

Remarks

Yukiko Akiyama (Official name)

External Links
Page Top ▲

Profile Summary 【 Display / hide 】

  • Dr. Yukiko Osawa received her B.E. degree (2015) in system design engineering and the M.E. (2016) and Ph.D. degrees (2019) in integrated design engineering from Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. She was a Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) from 2017 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, she was a JSPS Overseas Research Fellow and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CNRS, LIRMM in France, involved in IDH (Interactive Digital Humans) team. From 2021 to 2024, she worked at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tokyo, Japan. She currently works as a Senior Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics at Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. She was the recipient of the Distinguished Paper Award from the Institute of Electric Engineers of Japan (IEEJ) in 2017, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Ikushi Award in 2018, and the SICE International Young Authors Award in 2022. Her research interests include human interface, human-robot interaction, haptics, and thermal systems. She is a Member of IEEJ, SICE, RSJ, and IEEE.

Page Top ▲

Other Affiliation 【 Display / hide 】

  • National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , Collaborative researcher

Page Top ▲

Career 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2017.04
    -
    2019.03

    Keio University, JSPS Research Fellow (DC1)

  • 2019.04
    -
    2021.03

    JSPS Overseas Research Fellow, CNRS-UM LIRMM

  • 2021.04
    -
    2024.03

    National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Industrial CPS Research Center

  • 2024.04
    -
    Present

    Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics

  • 2024.04
    -
    Present

    Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Academic Background 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2011.04
    -
    2015.03

    Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of System Design Engineering

    University, Graduated

  • 2015.04
    -
    2016.09

    Keio University, Department of Integrated Design Engineering

    Graduate School, Completed, Master's course

  • 2016.09
    -
    2019.03

    Keio University, Department of Integrated Design Engineering

    Graduate School, Completed, Doctoral course

Page Top ▲

Academic Degrees 【 Display / hide 】

  • Doctor (Engineering), Keio University, Coursework, 2019.03

    Modeling and Control of Heat Conduction System Based on Spatial Information

Page Top ▲
 

Research Areas 【 Display / hide 】

  • Manufacturing Technology (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Chemical Engineering) / Control and system engineering

  • Informatics / Human interface and interaction

Page Top ▲

Research Keywords 【 Display / hide 】

  • Human Interface

  • Physical Human-Robot Interaction

  • Physical Human-Robot Interaction

  • Human Interface

  • Tactile/Thermal Sensing and Control

display all >>

Page Top ▲
 

Papers 【 Display / hide 】

  • Stiffness Control of Thermally Driven Actuator Using Phase Transition

    Haruki Saito, Yukiko Osawa

    Proceedings of the IEEE World Haptics Conference 2025 (IEEE)   2025

    Research paper (international conference proceedings), Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted

    　View Summary

    This paper proposes a method for controlling the stiffness of a thermally driven actuator by leveraging the phase transition of a low-boiling-point liquid. Using a Peltier device for cooling, the reduction in actuator stiffness can be precisely adjusted.
    Experiments demonstrated the actuator's effectiveness, particularly in handling fragile objects with precision, ensuring delicate interactions with contact surfaces. Since stiffness is adjusted within a safe temperature range, this approach shows promise for applications involving direct human contact, such as the outer surfaces of social robots (robot skin).

  • Fluid-Based Contact Detection and Thermal Display

    Daisuke Shionoiri and Yukiko Osawa

    Proceedings of the JEME 8th International Conference on Advanced Mechatronics (JSME)   2024.11

    Research paper (international conference proceedings), Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted

    　View Summary

    Soft robot skin is one of the key factors for physical human-robot interaction (pHRI), and many studies have proposed various kinds of robot skin. In particular, two functionalities, the ability to convey warmth to humans and to detect contact, are significant among the roles of robot skins. The former is known to create comfort and a positive impression of robots and help build trust in them. The latter enables more personalized human support.
    However, temperature feedback and contact detection require sensors on the skin's surface; this can disturb the heat conduction from the skin surface and soft, smooth tactile feelings. This paper proposes a system design for fluid-based soft robot skin, simultaneously enabling contact detection and temperature control without attaching a sensor to the skin surface. We developed a skin prototype based on the proposed design and conducted experiments to verify its capabilities.

  • Robot soft thermal display using self-heating and cooling system

    Osawa, Y., Ogura, I., Kheddar, A.

    CASE STUDIES IN THERMAL ENGINEERING 63 2024.11

    Lead author, Corresponding author,  ISSN  2214-157X

    　View Summary

    In this paper, we address robotic haptics with the following question: is it possible to design a heating/cooling system that can fulfill both the necessity of keeping the inner robot actuators at a desired optimal heat and, at the same time, use actuators energy loss in terms of heat conveyed, through a soft robotic cover, as pleasant thermal sensation to a human when the robot is touched? We propose a solution to address this question in terms of mechatronic design. Indeed, internal heat generated by actuator loss can be transferred to the robotic haptic cover and a cooling tank for thermal display purposes. A suitable switching control strategy is divided to fulfill the double objective of keeping the actuators’ temperature under a given threshold whilst displaying the desired temperature to the soft robot's cover. We assess our ideas with an experimental set-up using one actuator and our original soft cover technology with a preliminary user study.

  • A Cybernetic Avatar System to Embody Human Telepresence for Connectivity, Exploration, and Skill Transfer

    Rafael Cisneros-Limón, Antonin Dallard, Mehdi Benallegue, Kenji Kaneko, Hiroshi Kaminaga, Pierre Gergondet, Arnaud Tanguy, Rohan Pratap Singh, Leyuan Sun, Yang Chen, Carole Fournier, Guillaume Lorthioir, Masato Tsuru, Sélim Chefchaouni-Moussaoui, Yukiko Osawa, Guillaume Caron, Kevin Chappellet, Mitsuharu Morisawa, Adrien Escande, Ko Ayusawa, Younes Houhou, Iori Kumagai, Michio Ono, Koji Shirasaka, Shiryu Wada, Hiroshi Wada, Fumio Kanehiro, Abderrahmane Kheddar

    International Journal of Social Robotics (Springer Science and Business Media LLC)  17 ( 3 ) 535 - 562 2024.01

    Joint Work, Lead author, Corresponding author, Accepted,  ISSN  1875-4791

    　View Summary

    This paper describes the cybernetic avatar system developed by Team JANUS for connectivity, exploration, and skill transfer: the core domains targeted by the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition, for which Team JANUS was a finalist. We used as an avatar a humanoid robot with a human-like appearance and shape that is capable of reproducing facial expressions and walking, and built an avatar control system that allowed the operator to control the avatar through equivalent mechanisms of motion; that is, by replicating the upper-body movement with naturalness and by stepping to command locomotion. In this way, we aimed to achieve high-fidelity telepresence and managed to be well evaluated from the point of view of the operator during the competition. We introduce our solutions to the integration challenges and present experimental results to asses our avatar system, together with current limitations and how we are planning to mitigate them in future work.

  • Integration of Soft Tactile Sensing Skin with Controllable Thermal Display toward Pleasant Human-Robot Interaction

    Osawa Y, Luu Q.K, Nguyen L.V, Ho V.A

    2024 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration, SII 2024 (2024 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration, SII 2024)     369 - 375 2024.01

    Joint Work, Lead author, Corresponding author, Accepted

    　View Summary

    Safe and pleasant physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) is essential in the robotic skin and related control paradigms. Among approaches, integrating tactile sensing and thermal techniques enables the robot to provide pleasant and gentle touch perceptions, thus enhancing likability and trustworthiness during interactions with humans. However, achieving both accurate tactile sensing and desired thermal comfort perceptions poses significant challenges. In response to these challenges, this paper presents the development of a novel soft skin named Thermo Tac. This innovative skin not only possesses the ability to sense physical touches effectively but also provides thermal comfort sensations. The integration of these capabilities is realized through a carefully designed and strategic system. The developed skin is integrated with vision-based tactile sensing and water circulation systems to evaluate its performance and effectiveness in realistic interaction scenarios. The results of the experiments highlight the potential of ThermoTac as a promising solution for safe and stable human-robot interaction, paving the way for advanced tactile sensing and thermal comfort in robotics.

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Papers, etc., Registered in KOARA 【 Display / hide 】

Page Top ▲

Reviews, Commentaries, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Research Projects of Competitive Funds, etc. 【 Display / hide 】

  • 熱駆動ロボットスキンによる人とロボットの双方向熱コミュニケーションの創生

    2025.04
    -
    2029.03

    Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Principal investigator

  • 人間と機械の安全な触れ合いを実現する熱変色センサの開発

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

    立石科学技術振興財団 研究助成(A), Research grant, Principal investigator

  • Recognition and Control Technology Utilizing Robot Self-Heating for Human Robot Interaction

    2023.04
    -
    2026.03

    日本学術振興会, Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, Yukiko Osawa, Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, Principal investigator

    　View Summary

    本研究では廃熱を人・機械協調のための付加的な機能として有効活用すべく、機械内部の熱源から外部表面への効率的な熱輸送システムを開発し、廃熱を温度制御・接触対象物の認識に用いた新しい熱マネジメント手法を検討する。効率的な熱輸送を実現するための制御システムの構築について、ハードウェア（デバイス開発）・ソフトウェア（制御アルゴリズム）の双方について取り組む。技術の発展と環境問題の解決を両立した従来の熱対策手法を革新させる基盤技術として、幅広い場面での活用が期待できる。

  • A study on temperature-independent material recognition using soft robotic cover embedded in temperature control system

    2021.08
    -
    2023.03

    Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up, Yukiko Osawa, Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up, Principal investigator

    　View Summary

    In this research project, a recognition system for contact objects was developed to improve the accuracy of thermal-based material recognition. We investigated approaches that actively utilize heat from both hardware and software perspectives, including developing a temperature-controllable machine (robot) cover and recognition algorithms for contact objects using a time-series temperature database. By adjusting the temperature of the robot gripper according to the temperature of the object, it is possible to prevent deterioration in recognition accuracy due to environmental changes, which was a conventional problem. Furthermore, high-precision classification through machine learning based on temperature information has been achieved for materials with significantly different thermal properties, such as metal and wood, and metals that are difficult to classify using vision and tactile sensors.

  • Development of Robot Covers Considering Softness, Pleasantness and Thermal Touch Properties for Promoting Human-Robot Interaction

    2019.04
    -
    2021.03

    JSPS Overseas Research Fellow, No Setting

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Awards 【 Display / hide 】

  • 一般財団法人 安藤研究所 第３８回安藤博記念学術奨励賞

    大澤 友紀子, 2025.06

    Type of Award： Award from publisher, newspaper, foundation, etc.

  • IEEJ Industry Applications Society Quick Paper Review Promotion Award

    Yukiko Osawa, 2024.09, The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ)

    Type of Award： Honored in official journal of a scientific society, scientific journal

  • The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) ROBOMECH 2023 Certificate of Merit for Best Demonstration

    2024.05

    Type of Award： Award from Japanese society, conference, symposium, etc.

  • Best Paper Award Finalist

    Yukiko Osawa, Quan Khanh Luu, Linh Viet Nguyen, Van Anh Ho, 2024.01, The 2024 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integrations (SII 2024)

  • SICE International Young Authors Award (SIYA-SII2022)

    Yukiko Osawa, 2022.01, IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII 2022)

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Other 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2025年06月

    　View Details

    Daisuke Shionoiri (supervised student), The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Young Fellow Award

Page Top ▲
 

Courses Taught 【 Display / hide 】

  • PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

    2025

  • LABORATORY IN SCIENCE

    2025

  • INDEPENDENT STUDY ON FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

    2025

  • GRADUATE RESEARCH ON FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2

    2025

  • GRADUATE RESEARCH ON FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1

    2025

display all >>

Page Top ▲

Courses Previously Taught 【 Display / hide 】

  • PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

    Keio University

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

  • LABORATORY IN SCIENCE

    Keio University

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

  • APPLIED PHYSICS AND PHYSICO-INFORMATICS LABORATORY D

    Keio University

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

  • APPLIED PHYSICS AND PHYSICO-INFORMATICS LABORATORY C

    Keio University

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

  • INDEPENDENT STUDY ON FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

    Keio University

    2025.04
    -
    2026.03

display all >>

Page Top ▲
 

Memberships in Academic Societies 【 Display / hide 】

  • The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ), 

    2014.12
    -
    Present

  • IEEE, 

    2014.12
    -
    Present

  • The Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE), 

    2021.12
    -
    Present

  • The Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ), 

    2023.02
    -
    Present
Page Top ▲

Committee Experiences 【 Display / hide 】

  • 2024.04
    -
    2026.03

    論文査読小委員会, The Robotics Society of Japan

  • 2024.04
    -
    2026.03

    日本ロボット学会 論文査読小委員会

  • 2023.06
    -
    2024.05

    Committee on utilizing data and controlling for Industry Applications, The institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ)

  • 2023.04
    -
    2025.03

    Editorial Committee on Industry Applications Society, The institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ)

Page Top ▲