Compared to face-to-face lectures, where the teacher can respond immediately through conversation alone, the number of questions from students increases in asynchronous distance lectures, since they are sent by email or posted on a forum. In addition, if the information in a student's question is unclear, the teacher is burdened with extra interactions, such as asking the student questions. We propose the question database with an improved user interface that allows students to write their questions using the Moodle module. We analyse the number of questions and answers in asynchronous distance lectures to see if the extra communication between teacher and student could be reduced.

Recently, it has become possible to easily use video teaching materials in lectures and exercises using high-performance information terminals. In this study, we design and develop playback functions for lecture videos as learning support using a learning management system. The main feature of the proposed system generates keywords from handwritten characters and lecture speech so that learners can search for playback positions related to keywords. Additionally, it becomes possible to create a highly maintainable system in a short development period using speech recognition and still-image recognition functions available on the internet. In this paper, we describe our prototype implementation and present the results of our initial evaluation. The results demonstrate that, regarding the playback of a lecture video, it is possible to use the keyword search function 20–40 min after the lecture video is released. Moreover, we implemented a playback system using a block function on Moodle so that other teaching material in the course could be viewed simultaneously.

Many educational institutions implement blended lectures using an LMS, but few studies exist that have analysed learning effects and how best to conduct learning modules. In this paper, we analysed students’ learning activities and learning effects by using basic log data from an LMS on blended information literacy lectures to evaluate the lectures. In addition, we divided students into groups and analysed their differences by the number of learning effects and learning activities. The results show that some students showed no associations between the number of times they used teaching materials and their learning effects. We report the details of these differences and make suggestions for improvements in lectures. In addition, we propose three lecture patterns to encourage students’ activities.

In recent years, digital learning materials have been incorporated into schools by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In this paper, we propose learning methods to develop the expressive power, decision making and thinking skills of students using digital materials. Additionally, we develop the following features: a method that can show the data created in ePub as the digital learning materials, a feature that can search the Internet directly by linking with an Internet browser, and a feature that saves the meta-data for the learner using e-learning to reuse the data that was developed for smartphone users.

This paper describes a fast turning method for a humanoid robot by using slipping motion with both feet. The humanoid robot, WABIAN-2R, has achieved human-like walking with heel contact and toe off motions by using a human-like foot mechanism with a passive toe joint. The human-like foot enables a robot to turn by using slipping motion between the feet and the ground because it can switch ground contact conditions such as heel contact, sole contact and toe contact. To realize a slipping turn, we develop an attitude control. Verification of the proposed method is conducted through experiments with a biped humanoid robot WABIAN-2R. WABIAN-2R realized a quick turn by using slipping motion with both feet. We also confirmed that the energy consumption of a slipping turn is less than that of a stepping turn.

A four degrees of freedom (DoF) waist and trunk mechanism, as well as human-like foot, enable the humanoid robot WABIAN-2R to perform human-like walk with stretched knees, and heel-contact and toe-off gait phases. The inverse kinematics (IK) method, used in the present system, requires specification of not only task space reference trajectories, but also reference trajectories for all redundant DoFs. In this paper, we propose a novel, unified inverse kinematics method significantly simplifying the pattern generation. The method enables generation of the above described gait by specifying only the task space trajectories. We divide the forward locomotion task into subtasks with different priorities and combine them in the single IK equation. We also perform experiments in simulation environment as well as on WABIAN-2R, which prove that the method can be used to calculate IK for human-like gait. The equation evaluated in this paper is applied to the forward locomotion task, however it can be easily modified to perform other tasks on humanoid robots with different kinematic structures.

We have developed a new biped foot mechanism capable of detecting ground surface to realize stable walking on uneven terrain. The size of the foot mechanism is 160 mm × 277 mm and its weight is 1.5 kg. The foot system consists of four spikes each of which has an optical sensor to detect ground height. The foot makes a support polygon on uneven terrain by using three or four spikes. We have conducted several experiments on the outdoor ground surface that has a slope of 7.0 degrees and a maximum height of 15 mm bumps, and the effectiveness of the foot mechanism is confirmed.

The humanoid robot, WABIAN-2R, has achieved human-like walking with knee-stretched, heel contact and toe off motions by using a foot mechanism with a passive toe joint. However, the foot structure is different from a human's. In this paper, we describe a new foot mechanism capable of mimicking the human's foot arch structure to figure out the function of the arch structure. Especially, the developed foot mimics the elastic properties of the arch of the human's foot and the change of the arch height during walking. The foot mechanism consists of a passive joint in the internal toe, a passive joint in the external toe, and a joint in the foot arch. We conducted several walking experiments by using WABIAN-2R, and the function of the arch structure is clarified quantitatively. As a result, we confirmed that the arch elasticity could absorb a foot-landing force at the plantar contact phase and the change of the arch height contributed to a strong thrust at the push-off phase.

A new humanoid robot-WABIAN-2- that can be used as a human motion simulator is proposed in this paper. Its trunk is designed in order to permit rotation, and forward, backward, and sideway movement. Further, its arms are designed to support its complete weight when pushing a walk-assist machine. Moreover, it can lean on a walk-assist machine by forearm control using trunk motion. Basic walking experiments with WABIAN-2 are conducted with and without a walk-assist machine, thereby confirming its effectiveness

A humanoid robot, WABIAN-2R, capable of human-like walk with stretched knees and heel-contact and toe-off motions is proposed in this paper. WABIAN-2R has two 1-DOF passive joints in its feet to enable it to bend its toes in steady walking. Further, it has two 6-DOF legs, a 2-DOF pelvis, a 2-DOF trunk, two 7-DOF arms with 3-DOF hands, and a 3-DOF neck. In addition, a new algorithm for generating walking patterns with stretched knees and heel-contact and toe-off motions based on the ZMP criterion is described. In this pattern generation, some parameters of the foot trajectories of a biped robot are optimized by using a genetic algorithm in order to generate a continuous and smooth leg motion. Software simulations and walking experiments are conducted, and the effectiveness of the pattern generation and mechanism of WABIAN-2R, which have the ability to realize more human-like walking styles in a humanoid robot, are confirmed