Sendai, Japan, August 26-29, 2013

IEEE R10-HTC2013

An Introduction to Japanese R&D Activity and

Political Direction on Special Environment Robots
Yushi Segawa

Yasuyuki Nanamori

Business Strategy Consulting Group

Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
10-3, Nagatacho-2-Chome, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
[email protected]

Business Strategy Consulting Group

Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
10-3, Nagatacho-2-Chome, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
[email protected]

Shinichiro Sanji
Industrial Strategy Consulting Group
Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.

Takayoshi Kitada
Industrial Strategy Consulting Group
Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.

Abstract Japan has involved several social problems, e.g.,

large scale disasters and aging of infrastructures, and the robots
working in a related special environment have been expected for
the countermeasures. In order to accelerate the utilization of the
robots, we need not only the development of technology but also
the enforcement of comprehensive social system. In this aim, New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
(NEDO), had launched Research Project on Standardization,
Safety Standards and Consolidation of Competitiveness of
Special Environment Robots(SERs) and Systems in FY2012.
The final report of the research published on March 2013, which
contains the three parts as: 1) clarification of political positioning
of SERs, 2) clarification of mid-long term issues that Japan
should pursue, and 3) strategic planning of standardization,
safety standards and the competitiveness. In this paper, a
summary of the first part of the report is described, which
includes 1)R&D and in-Practice Activity, 2)political positioning,
3)operational framework for further practical use of SERs.

I.

Satoshi Tadokoro
Internat. Rescue System Inst.
Tohoku University

II. OBJECTIVE AND SITUATION OF SPECIAL ENVIRONMENT

ROBOTS
There are various and many needs for special environment
robots (SERs)1, not only in a time of disaster but also in a time
of normal. For example, in a time of disaster, SERs are
required to gather information (such as situation of survivor,
hazardous material, hazardous building, and so on), do
emergency treatment or rescue from a tumbledown building,
just after a disaster has occurred. Or in phase of retrieval or reestablishment, they are required to do work in a construction
site. By contrast, in a time of normal, there is a need to do
investigation or operation in a high altitude location or narrow
space where human would be hard to enter, and these use case
are in common between in a time of disaster and normal.
Table I and Table II shows some example of objective and
situation of SERs.

INTRODUCTION

TABLE I SITUATION FOR USE OF SERS

Japan has been troubled with many natural disasters such as

earthquakes and tsunamis. This attribute of Japan has led to the
continuous R&D activity on SERs in these years. As a result,
some Japanese robots including Quince were actually utilized
for some investigation after the Great East Japan Earthquake,
as well as proven robots abroad. However, several problems
became clear at the same time. One of the serious problems is
the lack of operation framework of SERs in Japan. Now,
Japanese government is intent on improving capability for
Disaster prevention, response, and resilience. And SERs can
contribute for this purpose.

Situation for use

Example

Collaspe of Structual Object

Damage from a landslide
Damage by a flood
Terrorist incident/CBRN

Building, tonnnel, mine

Pyroclastic eruption, landslide,
mudslide, avalanche
Flooded buildings, underground
city, sewage, in rubble
Explosive,
CBRN
substances,pestilence

TABLE II OBJECTIVE FOR USE OF SERS

Objective for use

This paper provides the current status and challenges on

Special Environment Robots (SERs) in Japan, from three
points of view. The first is Japanese R&D and in-Practice
Activity on SERs up to and including the Great East Japan
Earthquake, the second is political positioning of SERs in
Japan (both side of the disaster prevention/management policy
and industrial policy), and the last is future direction for further
practical use of SERs, especially about the establishment of
operatioinal framework.

Searching or confirming the situation of survivors in need of help

Gathering information of hazardous material distribution
Checking on the damage of areas where disaster has ouucered
1

special environment robots means the robot used in a

hostile, severe, and extraordinal environment against human,
e.g., USAR, EOD, tele-construction,agriculture, forestry,
under water, etc.

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Japan had operated so many robots, year 2011 would be able to

call as the first year of disaster response robots. Taking this
opportunity, it is expected that we will make the fullest
possible use of robots against a large scale disaster in the near
future.

Objective for use

Assistance of emergency treatment of rescue

Investigation of the damege in a quantitative way
Construction for re-establishment

Now, Table 4 shows some case examples of robots that

were working in the disaster-striken area of the Great East
Japan Earthquake.

Assistance of operation in an evacuation site

Inspection for safety
Security

TABLE 4 CASE EXAMPLES OF ROBOTS IN THE GREAT EAST JAPAN

EARTHQUAKE

III.

EFFORTS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN JAPAN UNTIL NOW

Examples of national project

A. Efforts for Development in the past

As for Japanese SERs, technology development and
demonstration experiments have been conducting by national
project. In addition, as for activity that aims for practical use,
system integration, operation manual development,
training/evaluation/interview with firemen, and cooporation
torward standarlizaiton of evaluation method of robots that is
discussing in U.S., has been made. However, it was difficult
for users such as fire department to introduce robots, because
their operation planning and framework was not enough to use
robots thoughtfully.

March 19, 2011

March 28, 2011

April 18-19, 2011

April 18-19, 2011

Table III shows leading examples of national project on

SERs.

April 18-21, 2011

TABLE III MAJOR EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL PROJECT ON SERS

Examples of national project

NEDO, National Project on

Advanced Robot Technology,
FY1983-FY1990
Former MITI, Development of
Robotic System for Nuclear
Facility
Emergency
Preparedness, January 2000March 2007
MEXT,
MEXT
RR2002
Special Project for Earthquake
Disaster Mitigation in Urban
Areas, August 2002-March
2007
NEDO, Project for Strategic
Development of Advanced
Robotics
Elemental
Technologies,
FY2005FY2011

April 20-22, 2011

Activities from the viewpoint of

Operation

Development on mechanical, control,

and operation assistance technology as
a fundamental technology

June 24-October 20, 2011

July 28-August 1, 2011

To develop the robot as a system,

integration of electric power, a
container for moving, and command
vehicle for operation had been
developed. And operation manual of
the robot had been ready for use

October 23-25, 2011

February 27-November 27,
2012

Assuming an act of terrorism in a huge

underground shopping arcade, an
awareness to be solved and themes to
be researched had been made clear.

Activities from the viewpoint of

Operation

Hachinohe-city, Aomori Pref. :

Investigation of a gymnasiums
damage and needs research at a harbor
by KOHGA
Sendai-city, Miyagi-Pref.:
Investigation at a complete collapse
buildings by Quince
Watari-town, Miyagi-Pref.:
Investigation at a harbor by Anchor
Diver
Minami Sanriku-town, Miyagi-Pref.:
Investigation at a harbor by Seamore
and SARbot (collaboration with
CRASAR)
Miyagi-Pref. and Iwate-Pref.:
Digital archive of disaster-stricken area
by measurement vehicle
Rikuzen-takada-city, Iwate-Pref.:
Investigation at a harbor by Seamore
and SARbot (collaboration with
CRASAR)
Fukushima-Pref.:
Investigation and light working inside
the nuclear reactor building by Quince
Sendai-city, Miyagi-Pref.:
Investigation at a complete collapse
buildings by Quince and Pelican
Minami Sanriku-town, Miyagi-Pref.:
Investigation at a harbor by Seamore
and SARbot
Fukushima-Pref.:
Investigation and dose measurement by
Quince2 and Quince3

In these cases, robots, such as Quince, making consecutive

improvements along with users needs, have been utilized
successfully. However, some robots had been used only in a
limited situation, or made a lesser start compared to foreign
robots. In addition, it was found out that some robots did not
satisfy users requirement level in the point of some function
and performance. These technical problems through the eyes of
users will be cleared by practical operations or experimental
proof in a semi-actual environment.

Construct a experience environment of

collapsed house,
training/evaluation/interview
with
firemen, and cooporation torward
standarlizaiton of evaluation method of
robots that is discussing in U.S.

C. Policy framework of special environment robots in Japan

and its problem
1) Political Positioning of Special Environment Robots
It is clear that SERs are in accord with both policy on
disaster prevention and policy on industry. And they would
make a contribution to the realization of policy in Japan.

B. Work in practice in the Great East Japan

Earthquake(March 11, 2011)
In the Great East Japan Earthquake(March 11, 2011) and
the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant that was
accompanied with, many robots has been working in various
disaster response situation and they has taken many excellent
results at the constant level. Becaese it was the first time when

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have developed, which can work in an actual environment

such as Quince. On the other hand, it is not enough to consider
users acceptable operation planning and framework, though
developers have been exchanging opinions with users in the
process of R&D and experimental proof.

In the policy of disaster defense, SERs are in accord with

the objective of mainstreaming disaster reduction, disaster
prevention know-how is our frontier of recovery in Japan,
and putting out the advance disaster prevention technology to
worldwide in the advancing tendency about disaster
prevention.
In the policy on industry, SERs are in accord with the
objective of enforcement of registance against risk in the
domestic industry and infrastructure, in the overseas
expansion of international standalization and certification.

After we have experienced the Great East Japan

Earthquake, as a lesson, Japanese government is revising the
basic policy of disaster prevention. And there is a movement
of connecting recovery from the disaster with enforcement of
industrial competitiveness.

Political positioning of SERs in the aspect of policy of

disaster prevention is following:

With these activities, we have to scale up an activity on

development and practical realization of SERs involving users
and the whole country from the level that has been achieved so
far. And it can be important for popularization to cooporation
with Japanese related ministry and foreign stakeholders such
as United States.

x After the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan Central

Disaster Prevention Council is discussing about the
basic policy of disaster prevention, and upgrading will
be accelating along its basic policy. It is suitable for
robots to propose a valid use case now.

From this time, the challenging points that are to be

cleared in introducing SERs are shown in the following:

x SERs are much in accord with the objective of

mainstreaming disaster reduction, because they can
work not only in disaster response but also in ordinary
times for inspection and maintenance of infrastructure.

[Challenge 1] Activity on introducing SERs for enforcement

of the disaster response in Japan
x Along with the basic policy of the Japan Central
Disaster Prevention Council, operation scheme of users
should have been requred in the whole country.

x SERs are much in accord with the objective of disaster

prevention know-how is our frontier of recovery in
Japan, and putting out the advance disaster prevention
technology to worldwide, because they can be
positioned as one of the advanced disaster prevention
infrastructures and can be exported to overseas.

x Cooporating with Fire and Disaster Management

Agency, regional fire defense headquarters and fire
department, operation method using robots should have
been requred.

x SERs have already been one of the equipments in the

special advanced rescue team that is organized by Fire
and Disaster Management Agency. The special
advanced rescue team may have enough understandings
on introducing robots, so more and more testing,
technology inprovement, and establishing operating
schemes are required to verify its validation.

x R&D, experimental proof, and technical inprovement

matching with user needs should have been requred.
[Challenge 2] Activity on introducing SERs to foreign
countries for enforcement of industrial competitiveness
x Marketability and market creation on robots for
overseas expansion should have been requred.

Political positioning of SERs in the aspect of policy on

industry is following:

x Prepareness of international standalization and

certification focusing the overseas expansion should
have been required.

x SERs may take an important role for solution in the

domestic industry infrastructure, because Japan industry
is required on enforcement of maintenance in ordinary
times and on enforcement of disaster response in
emergency.

IV.

x Japanese government is improving the overseas

expansion of international standalization and
certification about our domestic technology, products,
and systems. In this point, it is expected that SERs are
introduced to the foreign countries because we have
high competitive technology on robots.

OPERATIOINAL FRAMEWORK FOR FURTHER PRACTICAL

USE OF SERS

A. Whole concept of Operational framework

1) Categolizing of disaster
In order to discuss on the whole concept of operational
framework when users introduce SERs, specific supposition
are needed about a genesis region, kind, response agent, and
response method of disaster and so on.
Here, we discuss on the following two types of supposed
disaster,
or
Plant/Factory
Disaster
and

2) Challenges
As we mentioned above, technology development and
demonstration experiments on SERs have been conducting by
national project and related policies, and superior technologies

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should be established. And this organization would be able to

work with police, fire department, and Self-Defense Forces in
an accident location. Also, it would monitor the information
from the accident location with them.

Urban/Transportation Infrastructure Disaster. Summary of

these supposed disasters is shown in the following table.
TABLE 5 SUMMARY OF SUPPOSED DISASTER AT PLANT OR FACTORY
Summary
Genesis
region
Example of
disaster in
recent
years

Use case of
robots

Explosion or fire in a electric power plant/ chemical plant/

laege-scale factory
x Region near a nuclear power plant or a thermal power plant
x Region near a chemical plant or a laege-scale factory
x the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant (Souma-gun,
Fukushima Pref., March 2011)
x TOSOH Corporation's Nanyo Complex (Syunan-city,
Yamaguchi Pref., November 2011)
x Mitsui Chemical Corporations Iwakuni-ootake plant
(Waki-town, Yamaguchi Pref., April 2012)
x Nippon Shokubai Corporations Himeji Factory (Himejicity, Hyogo Pref. September 2012)
x Gathering information inside the building of which
dangerousness is unclear
x Gathering information at high location area or narrow
space where human cannot achieve

Japanese
Government

Tokyo Fire
Department

Use case of
robots

Ministry of
Defense
Japan SelfDefense
Forces

Nuclear and Industrial

Safety Agency

OSC
Local
government

Self Solving
Accident
Occurred

Police

nuclear
power plant
(Fukushima1st)

Fire Station

surrounding
region
OSC: Off Site Center
MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology
METI: Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry

<Problem>
Their operational
framework, command
channel, priority, and so on
were not unified.

Figure 1 Japanese operative example of response to 3.11 accident[1]

INFRASTRUCTURE

Genesis
region
Example of
disaster in
recent
years

MEXT
METI

Tokyo
Metropolitan
Government

TABLE 6 SUMMARY OF SUPPOSED DISASTER AT URBAN/TRANSPORTATION

Summary

Nuclear Safety
Commission

x Disaster at at urban/transportation infrastructure that

accompanies collaspe, falling off
x Urban area or laege-scale underground shopping mall
x laege-scale tonnnel
x the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (Hyogo Pref. and
surrounding region, January 1995)
x Fire accident on construction site at Subway Nanboku-Line
(March 1997, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
x Derailment accident of JR Fukuchiyama-Line (Amagasakicity, Hyogo Pref., April 2005)
x Explosion accident of Hakkatouge-tonnel (Minami-uonuma
city, Niigata Pref., May 2012)
x Collapsed accident of the Chuo Expressway's Sasago
Tunnel (Ootuki city, Yamanashi Pref., December 2012)
x Gathering information inside the collapsed building,
underground shopping mall falling off, collapsed tonnel
which exists narrow and dangerous environment exists.

Japanese Government

Japan SelfDefense Forces

Transportation
frequent use

Controlling the
accident
(Nuclear and
Industrial Safety
Agency, or an
alternative
organization)

National large
organization
Each
power plant
or Factory

Nation protection
(disaster
countermeasures
office)

Monitoring (used in normal time)

Power plant
or
Factory

surrounding
region

Channel of response
Accident
Occurred

Channel of information
New established operational
organization

Figure 2 Future whole concept of operational framework (Example of general

disaster)[1]

2) Supposed operational framework

a) Operational framework at the time of disaster at
plant or factory
First of all let us tell about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
power plant accident brought by the Great East Japan
Earthquake. When the accident just occurred, Japanese each
governmental organization had much confused because of
response against the face of a perceived unprecedented crisis.
And it might be said that they could not do a quick response at
that time. It is pointed out that the complexity of relation
among each related organization (Japanese government,
ministry, self-defense force, police, fire department, and so
on) is one of the reasons. That is to say, their operational
framework, command channel, priority had been unclear and
their provision was not unified. Figure 1 shows an operational
framework at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Figure 2 shows a whole concept of operational framework
which can apply not only nuclear power plant disaster but also
other disasters or accidents, based upon the problem and
reflection point in the Great East Japan Earthquake. National
large organization for operating robots in disaster response

This whole concept of operational framework would make

it possible to response, make decision, and integrate more
quickly for each agency. As well, this organization keeps
monitoring in a normal time, and if there would be a problem
in a plant, this organization would consider the response
including using robots, as needed. Figure shows the Japanese
future operative system (exapmle of nuclear energy plant
disaster).
Following location or agency would be an actual site for
deployment of robots.
x Deployment to The Nuclear Emergency Assistance &
Training Center (NEAT), which Federation of Electric
Power Companies of Japan is setting in Fukui
Prefecture and so on.
x The off-site centers of nuclear power plant (20 locations
nationwide)

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There is already a starting point for deployment SERs to

particular regions such as with urban areas, underground malls,
subways, tunnels over a certain size.
In normal time

disaster
prevention

notification
article 10

Problem
Operator

Accident
(station blackout)

notification
article 15

Worker

Japanese
Government
(Nuclear and
Industrial Safety
Agency)
Japanese
Government
(Nuclear and
Industrial Safety
Agency)
A task force

Extended
restraint

OSC

Act on Special Measures Concerning

Nuclear Emergency Preparedness

Monitoring

Meltdown
(Criticality / mass
leakage)
Robots

NEAT

Rescue robot
organization

Other
Prefecture
Municipality

Rescue robot
organization
(Planning)
OSC

Fire Defense
Headquarters

Prefecture

Local
government
NEAT

(Dispatch )

NEAT: The Nuclear Emergency Assistance & Training Center

Note: In the case of an industrial disaster, it is connected with
the phenomenon, each safety regulation and organization

Fire and
Disaster
Management
Agency

Local
government

Municipality

Rescue robot
organization

Fire Defense
Headquarters

(Preparation, Dispatch )

under the command of

nuclear power plant

Other Fire
Defense
Headquarters
in the same
prefecture

Figure 3 The Japanese future operative system

(exapmle of nuclear energy plant disaster)[1]

The Special
Advanced
Rescue
Team

The Special
Advanced Rescue
Team
Dispatch priority order
Dispatch priority
dispatch as urgent
order
firefighting help corps

Each team
The scene of
large-scale
disasters

Dispatch priority
order

Figure 4 Present dispatch framework of the fire department in a large scale

disaster[2]

Deployment of robots in the Nuclear Emergency

Assistance & Training Center is under consideration in
response to the report from Japanese government in the
"Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety," at International
Atomic Energy Agency, which was held in June 2011. Three
robots are expected to be deployed in fiscal 2012. More
expansion by fiscal 2015 is also under consideration.
The off-site centers have been established in 20 locations
nationwide, on the basis of the Act on Special Measures
concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness. The centers
have to be equipped for a radiation measurement facility and
an equipment to collect information about the status of the
nuclear site and weather.

3) Way to further actual utilization of SERs

We need to promote integrally R&D and development of
operation framework of SERs, both in collaboration with endusers. And the cooperation with overseas partners is also
important, especially with the United States leading the
development of standardization of evaluation criteria for SERs
and demonstration field for evaluation such as "Disaster City"
at Texas.
The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
has been promoting the development and standardization of
evaluation methods for quantitative and objective evaluation
of the performance of SERs. Development and standardization
of evaluation methods has been performed through the
evaluation and demonstration of SERs in "Disaster City," the
world's largest training facility for urban disaster response.

b) Operational framework at the time of disaster at

urban or transportation infrastructure
When large-scale disasters beyond the response capacity of
the Fire Fighting Head Office of each municipality has
occurred, the Emergency Fire Response Team which consists
of the Special Advanced Rescue Teams of other parts of the
prefecture or outside of the prefecture is dispatched to the site.
The Special Advanced Rescue Teams are located in 21
locations nationwide, Tokyo and other government-ordinancedesignated cities. The teams are composed of members
equipped with advanced rescue equipments.
And they are the potential users of SERs, because they have
capability of operating high-tech equipments and be sent out
beyond the boundaries of the prefecture.

By now, Japanese resaerchers of SERs have cooperated

with these activities. And now is the time to deepen the
partnership based on the experience of the Great East Japan
Earthquake, and to contribute disaster response around the
world by Japanese capable technologies of SERs.

V.

CONCLUSION

This paper introduced the current status and challenges on

Special Environment Robots (SERs) in Japan, from three
points of view. The first is R&D and in-Practice Activity up to
and including the Great East Japan Earthquake. The second is
political positioning of SERs in Japan, viewed from the side of
both the disaster prevention/management policy and industrial

Incidentally, the Special Advanced Rescue Teams are

already supposed to be equipped with a remote control
detector such as SERs if necessary in accordance with the
actual circumstances of the responsible area. In fact, some
SERs have been deployed in the Tokyo Fire Department.

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policy. And the last issue is future direction for further practical
use of SERs, especially about the establishment of operatioinal
framework.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was conducted as part of the research project by
the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO). And we would like to extend our
appreciation to everyone concerned. The collaborators of the
research project, associate prof. Tetsuya KIMURA of Nagaoka
University of Technology and the members of the Japan Robot
Association provided useful information through the research
on "strategic planning of standardization, safety standards and
the competitiveness". The members of NEDO especially
Mr.Atsushi Mano provided valuable advice to deepen this
study. In addition, the support by the members of IRS
(International Rescue System Institute) especially Ms.Izumi
Ohnishi were invaluable. Special thanks to all the above.

Technology development and demonstration experiments

on special environment robots has been conducting by national
project and related policies, and superior technologies have
developed, which can work in an actual environment such as
Quince. On the other hand, it is not enough to consider user's
acceptable operation planning and framework, though
developers have been exchanging opinions with users in the
process of R&D and experimental proof.
After we have experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake,
as a lesson, Japanese government is revising the basic policy of
disaster prevention. And there is a movement of connecting
recovery from the disaster with enforcement of industrial
competitiveness.

REFERENCES
[1]

With these activities, we have to scale up an activity on

development and practical realization of special environment
robots involving users and the whole country from the level
that has been achieved so far. And it can be important for
popularization to cooporation with Japanese related ministry
and foreign stakeholders such as United States.

[2]

34

NEDO, Report of strategy formulation in mechnanical system area,

2011
Fire and Disaster Management Agency of Japan, Dispatch Scheme of
Emergency Fire Response Teams,
http://www.fdma.go.jp/neuter/topics/kinkyu/kinshoutai_gaiyou.pdf