International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

In recent years, natural disasters have frequently occurred in Japan, almost yearly, causing enormous damage. In Hiroshima Prefecture, heavy rains in August 2014 and July 2018 caused large-scale landslides. Power outages continued in the affected areas, and some survivors had been lighting campfires outdoors and using candles indoors. In times of disaster in which bad weather persists, it is difficult to safely secure lighting, which can adversely affect health. Lanterns can be created by putting a few drops of milk into a PET bottle filled with water and shining light from the bottle’s bottom. In this study, we used a light emitting diode (LED) as a light source to evaluate the luminance of handmade lanterns. Results suggested that when using tap water with one LED lamp and a 500 ml PET bottle, 1–2 drops of milk are suitable to achieve the optimal light scattering effect.

In this study, the Sigfox network and the Internet were employed to develop an Internet of Things device equipped with temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and other sensors to measure different physical data. In addition, we attempted to control Sigfox communication by employing AT commands using the Arduino UNOR4 Sigfox module, and social implementation of the proposed system.

This paper presents an investigation of innovative nanostructured semiconductive materials, focusing on dichalcogenides of transition metals, particularly WS2. The properties of WS2 in the context of its application in sensor technology and highlight the anticipated advantages of nanostructured disulfides compared to bulk semiconductor materials are discussed in the introduction. We propose a model sensor element based on the nanostructured disulfide WS2 and introduce a technological method utilizing electron beam lithography (EBL) for its preparation. The paper details the processes involved in preparing the resist masking layer using EBL, the metallization of the interdigital electrode (IDE) with contacts and important EBL characteristics such as a contrast curve, dependence of the linewidth on the exposure dose, and the line edge roughness.

In this work, electron beam lithography (EBL) is presented as an important technology shaping the future of semiconductor manufacturing within the Industry 4.0 initiative. The EBL contribution to the ongoing evolution of electronic devices and technologies is discussed in the context of the Industry 4.0 initiative. Semiconductor technologies are foundational to the implementation of Industry 4.0, playing a critical role in enabling advanced computing, communication, sensing, and control systems. They facilitate the creation of intelligent, interconnected, and automated systems in the Industry 4.0 initiative. In addition, we present some of our results in the field of EBL research. The focus is on investigating the electron beam resist profile depending on various process parameters. The influence of electron beam lithography parameters, such as electron energy, resist thickness, and exposure dose, on the resist sidewall shape (profile) is studied for the PMMA (polymethyl-methacrylate) positive electron beam resist. Simulation results based on measurements along the resist profile depth are presented and discussed. The aim of this work is to develop and validate models for predicting and precisely controlling resist profiles in thick PMMA layers applied in the fabrication of electronic devices.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has seamlessly integrated more than a billion intelligent, interconnected devices into our world today, and is expected to accommodate soon hundreds of billions more such devices. This imminent proliferation heralds a profound transformation that stands to influence the electronics industry and many other sectors. Furthermore, integrating blockchain technology into IoT can impart genuine trust in the collected data. Hence, our research endeavors to harness this potential by applying it to hydrogenrelated data, which are expected to be critical in realizing a carbon-neutral society.
Specifically, our attention is directed toward utilizing an initial blockchain system to securely store data obtained from IoT devices equipped with hydrogen sensors that can communicate through Sigfox technology.

We report the results of measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations 140 times a day in habitable spaces using Sigfox along with temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure measurements. We design and fabricate a printed circuit board to integrate the sensor with an Arduino processor. Using the developed sensor, we estimate that if one adult male performs light work for 1 h in a typical living room [3.17 m (width 3.17 m) × 7.4 m (length 7.4 m) × 2.6 m (height 2.6 m) = volume 61.4 m3], the carbon dioxide CO2 concentration will increase by approximately 200 ppm. In the future, the developed sensor could be used for detailed human behavior studies in the context of CO2 concentrations.

We achieved a CT(ozone concentration(ppm) X exposure time(min) )value of 60, which can inactivate coronavirus from 1/10 to 1/100 by operating for 24 h at an appropriate ozone concentration (less than 0.1 ppm) using feedback control in the previous report. In this system, the only way to reduce the ozone concentration is the decomposition reaction of ozone in the natural world, and it was not possible to cope with the rapid increase in ozone. In this study, we investigated the reduction of ozone concentration using hydrogen. As a result, it was clarified that the concentration of ozone rapidly decreased even with about 1/100 of hydrogen’s explosion limit (about 4%).

Galvanic corrosion is a well-known phenomenon, which occurs when two different metals exposed to the same conditions exhibit differential corrosion rates. The corrosion process is accelerated by the exchange electrons between the metals. In this study, we created a novel layered structure of Cu and Al for efficient electron extraction through charge transfer. Using this Cu/Al laminated structure configuration and galvanic corrosion effect, an open-circuit voltage of approximately −160 mV was generated by measuring the difference in potential between the metal and a useful indicator of the electrochemical dynamics of the system. Furthermore, we effectively transmitted electrons between the metal in the layered structure, as demonstrated by the extraction of a charge of approximately 10−5 C. These results show the potential of using a laminated structure to take advantage of galvanic corrosion as energy generation and electrochemical sensing.

Using the Sigfox network, one of LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), and the Internet, we developed a temperature, humidity, pressure, and Internet of Things devices with different sensors to measure various physical data. It is much simpler to work with weather data when using OpenWeatherMap’s widely recognizable weather products. In this study, OpenWeatherMap’s meteorological data were captured every 15 minutes using are Sigfox communication, which is one of LPWA. These data were transferred to ThingSpeak using MATLAB analysis and time control of ThingSpeak.

Plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) is a surface modification method, which applies a negative high-voltage pulse to a sample in plasma. Ions are implanted uniformly by reducing the width of the ion sheath formed near the sample and by aligning the sheath shape more with the sample for complexly shaped samples. This method is considered a potentially effective surface treatment method for various shapes of objects. This study investigated the PBII method to explore its potential use as a food processing device. The research samples were pork belly and cabbage. The investigation results showed decreased bacteria viability, although the sample temperature at the treatment time was less than 40 °C. Additionally, the plasma treatment could not decrease the vitamin C content. Furthermore, fine holes could be created on the sample surface. These results indicate that PBII treatment is usable in food processing to improve the permeability of seasoning solutions while ensuring food safety and nutrient stability.

Experimental results for the quality of electron beam melting and refining of pyro-refined copper samples are analysed by an empirical model estimation approach. Investigation of the influence of the process parameters – melting power and time of refining on the removal efficiency of specific impurities, overall removal efficiency and material losses is performed.

This work presents experimental and theoretical investigation of exposed and developed negative electron resist AR-N 7520 profiles using electron beam lithography system ZBA23 (Raith) at variation of the exposure doses and pre-defined exposure pattern. Several overall geometry quality criteria for the shape of the developed resist profile cross-sections are defined. Empirical models are estimated for the dependence of overall geometry characteristics of the obtained resist profiles on the exposure dose. These overall quality characteristics are used for defining of technological requirements for the formed profiles and for obtaining optimal regimes by multicriterial optimization.