Previous Research topics (continue until now)

1. Research on thermal hydraulics to improve safety and advance zero-carbon energy use, decommissioning of nuclear facilities, waste treatment and disposal, decontamination, etc.
2. Research on sensing technology, unused resource utilization technology, and local production for local consumption of renewable energy

Current Situation and Issues in Agriculture and Forestry

When considering Japan's food security, securing its own agricultural resources is the key to food security. Combined with the supply chain disruption caused by the prolonged spread of COVID-19, securing manpower and reducing the workload have become challenges for production sites.

In addition, Japan's forestry industry became one of the most heavily forested countries in the world thanks to the postwar policy of expanding afforestation, but it is said to have been in decline due to changes in people's living environment and the liberalization of overseas timber imports. The forests created at that time have reached maturity, and from the perspective of land conservation and disaster prevention, it is necessary to establish an appropriate cycle of logging, utilization, and afforestation as soon as possible for the future. However, tree felling is still a dangerous and skilled work with one of the highest mortality rates in the industry. As same as in agriculture, there is a labor shortage due to the decreasing number and aging of producers, and securing manpower and reducing the burden on the production site has become a challenge.

Here, while it is important to introduce the latest smart technology, it is desirable to use technology that can be made smart at low cost and that can effectively use existing infrastructure and know-how, taking into account the realities of the Japanese agriculture and forestry industry. In addition, it is important to promote social implementation and digitalization of smart technologies and local production for local consumption and agroforestry with renewable energy, in light of the geo-strategy and existing infrastructure and livelihood infrastructure in the mountainous regions in the agriculture and forestry industry, which can be described as Japan's unique medium- and small-scale industry.

Current research topics

”Solving Problem and Super Smart Society Implementation in Agriculture and Forestry by Engineering Wisdom”
～Smart Agriculture and Forestry Field Research Promotion～

In order to sustainably develop Japan's agriculture and forestry industry, it is important to resolve issues by promoting social implementation and digitalization of smart technology, local production for local consumption and agriculture and forestry through renewable energy, in light of the geography, existing infrastructure and living infrastructure in the mountainous regions in agriculture and forestry, which can be considered as Japan's unique medium and small scale.

Therefore, Takahashi Laboratory is establishing agriculture and forestry ("Smart Agriculture Education & Research Field") as an academic research field by integrating engineering academic foundations and smart technology, aiming to harmonize engineering and humanity to realize a safe, secure, and comfortable society by developing established technologies as smart technology, and is researching solutions to problems and its social implementation in agriculture and forestry as the engineering.

Specifically, with the aim of building mechanical systems that can work autonomously to support smart agriculture and forestry, we are promoting research and social implementation of remote sensing and robot technologies, technologies for environmental restoration and utilization of unused resources, zero-carbon energy, and integrated technologies that use solar tracking power generation systems to supply power on the site. In addition, along with laboratory research, we are conducting smart agriculture and forestry research by making maximum use of the on-campus demonstration site (Smart Agriculture Field) at the Suzukakedai Campus in Kanagawa Prefecture. We will also make effective use of existing Fukushima Prefecture facilities for smart agriculture research.

Furthermore, we will promote research on smart agriculture and forestry by making full use of IoT, robotics, and other technologies, and develop technologies to decarbonize agriculture and realize smart agriculture toward the realization of an super smart society (Society 5.0) in which issues faced by production sites are solved with cutting-edge technologies. We will take on the challenge of contributing to a business model that digitally integrates the entire end-to-end food chain, from producer to consumer, while developing technologies to decarbonize agriculture and realize smart agriculture.　

Currently, the Takahashi Lab's three main research themes are as follows

With the aim of building machinery systems that can work autonomously to support smart agriculture and forestry, we promote research and social implementation of remote sensing and robot technologies, technologies for environmental recovery and utilization of unused resources, and zero-carbon energy technologies.

1. Research on remote sensing technology and robot control systems utilizing ultrasonic, laser, camera and other sensing technologies and robot technology
2. Research on technology for removing contaminants from contaminated soil and plants and recovering unused resources
3. Research on zero-carbon energy such as the development of solar power generation systems

Research Topics in Future

1. Plant growth & control model construction and growth feedback based on multivariate analysis and next-generation computing
2. Construction of super smart food chain