At-sea towing of a Mega-Float unit

A huge floating offshore platform (359m long, 60m wide, and 3m deep) was towed into the Pacific Ocean for a validation experiment for a floating airport. Full-scale measurements of towline tension and the bending strain on the upper-deck were made during towing. The measured bending moment agreed well with numerical calculation without taking the draught and towing speed into consideration.     

An experimental analysis of intelligibility and efficiency of in-vehicle route guidance system displays

This study focuses on the user-interface of the route guidance system with an electronic map display. The ultimate goal of the study is to aid in designing electronic map displays that can deliver information to the user most efficiently and expeditiously with minimum confusion. To evaluate the efficiency and understandability of a map display, laboratory experiments were designed and conducted in this study. In the experiments the subjects were presented with electronic map displays of different attributes and performed a set of tasks. Their understanding of the information contents was measured based on the outcomes of the tasks, and subjective ratings of the ease of using the maps were obtained. Using the experimental data obtained, a structural equations model system is developed to explain the understandability of a map display in terms of the subject’s attributes and the characteristics of the map display. The experimental procedure and the modeling results are presented in this paper.     

Developing the logical cross-sectoral framework of local SDGs project targeting safety and sustainability

Localization of sustainable development goals (SDGs) was given a boost at the 2019 Seville commitment, which highlighted the importance of local governments on sustainability. Various cities worldwide are at different stages of the localization program. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss two small cities in India that have advanced towards collectively achieving certain targets in SDGs 3, 9, and 11, despite having a small budget, limited human resources, and less international exposure. By utilizing the plan, do, access or analyze, report, and utilize (PDARU) cycle and logic model, we accessed the methods that led to the development of SDG-oriented street designs. The findings show that consensus building of different stakeholders eases data collection and analysis. Residents are adamant to adopt SDGs, but once they are sensitized, they become willing to contribute towards their realization. This exchange of ideas among different government sectors and the residents depicts a cross-sectoral cooperation that is a backbone in localizing SDGs. Despite the fact that social and environmental issues are more dire today, residents understand economic issues better because they directly affect their livelihood in the short run. Therefore, to set realistic localized goals, baselines must reflect residents' short and long-term requirements. Furthermore, by focusing on the top three problems of the locality, other problems are either directly or indirectly addressed. To create a similar strategy in other cities, a back-casting Theory of Change was adopted to propose a methodology for implementation.     

Development of low-CO2-emission vehicles and utilization of local renewable energy for the vitalization of rural areas in Japan

Most of Japan's energy supply depends on imports from foreign countries, making the independence ratio of energy in Japan very low. The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami led to a mass shutdown of all the nuclear plants in Japan, a stoppage that is still in effect. In this paper, we review the energy supply situation and some social problems faced by rural areas in Japan. Given that lifestyles in rural Japan are reliant on automobiles, there is significant demand for the establishment of a sustainable mobility society. Furthermore, Japan is now entering an aging society ahead of other countries. In order to enhance the vitalization of rural areas and accelerate the establishment of sustainable society, our project developed low-CO₂-emission vehicles (i.e., a single-driver EV [micro-EV] and a low-speed E-bus) for elderly people and tourists through the cooperation of regional industries, a local university, and a city office. This paper also reports some trial test results on renewable energy utilization as the driving energy supply for these low-emission vehicles.     

The effects of critical peak pricing for electricity demand management on home-based trip generation

This paper examines electricity critical peak pricing (CPP) as a measure for controlling electricity demand at critical peak times. This pricing scheme is designed to facilitate energy conservation not only inside but also outside the home. For this study, we surveyed consumer propensity to leave the home under CPP schemes and analyzed the impact of CPP on consumer cost. The results indicated that higher prices induce a higher rate of going out, while residential conditions such as population density and access to public transportation have a relatively small impact on leaving the home and average energy conservation. However, this is not always the case for aged households with limited mobility; residential conditions have a substantial effect on this segment of the population. Combined with a reduced ability to go out, electricity pricing has a greater negative impact on aged people. These results imply that improving accessibility through transportation development and urban compaction is an effective means of saving electricity alleviating the negative impact of CPP on the aged society of the future.     

A methodology to increase driver trust in rear-obstacle warning systems with imperfect sensing results — Proposal for a warning system using sensor reliability information

Driver's workload tends to be increased during driving under complicated traffic environments like lane-changing operation. In such cases, rear collision warning is effective for reduction of cognitive workload. On the other hand, it is pointed out that false alarm or missing alarm caused by sensor errors leads to decrease of driver trust in the warning system and it can result in low efficiency of the system. Suppose that sensor reliability information is provided in real-time. In this paper, we propose a novel warning method to increase driver trust in the system even with low sensor reliability by utilizing sensor reliability information. We investigate the effectiveness of the warning methods in high and low workload situations by driving simulator experiments.     

Measuring the impact of urban policies on transportation energy saving using a land use-transport model

Various projects all over the world are attempting to build smart cities in hopes of achieving energy-efficient and livable communities, but most of them are aiming to fulfill their goals technologically. However, the energy efficiency and livability of a city are affected by not only these technological factors but also urban structures that encompass residential areas, offices, transportation networks, and other facilities. Urban policies intervene in transportation and land-use conditions and thereby change how citizens consume energy and go about their daily lives as the actors in the urban system alter their behavior. This means that energy efficiency and quality of life share close ties. Assessments of urban policies thus need to consider the reactions of actors to the intervention.     

Looking at sustainable urban mobility through a cross-assessment model within the framework of land-use and transport integration

In order to realise sustainable urban transport, it is necessary to combine different kinds of decision-making, including vision-led, plan-led and consensus-led approaches. In this paper, a cross-assessment model that supports both vision-led and consensus-led approaches is proposed as an analytical tool for developing sustainable urban transport and land use strategies for a low-carbon society. It is applied to an impact analysis of public transport and land use strategies in 2030 for all of Japan's 269 urban areas, with outcomes – including the financial balance of public transport operation, user benefits, and CO₂ emissions reduction – compared by strategy and urban area.     

Experimental Study of System Optimization for Suppression of Vehicle Vibration

The improvements of ride comfort and vehicle maneuverability in the vehicle design can be achieved by using an active suspension. However, the problems in such a control are the complex control logic because of the control laws incompatible with the improvements of ride comfort and maneuverability, and the cost increase because of various sensors to be attached. Therefore, we examined the control abilities of ride comfort and maneuverability on a unique control law using frequency shaped LQ, and controlled the characteristic of the contact between tire and road without a road displacement sensor