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Makihara-Hara/Otsuka Lab
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A lab that designs the structures of space stations and lunar bases with their vibration taken into account.
AboutAbout the lab
Suppressing vibration and turning it into energy
The Makihara-Hara/Otsuka Lab studies the structural design of space structures and aerospace structures from the standpoint of applied mechanics.
The lab advances research on structural control using large experimental setups that assume space stations, lunar bases, and Mars bases.
The lab also works on demonstrations that harvest the energy of structural vibration, which hinders space activities, to generate power and put it to use in space activities.
It also takes on research for the future of space development, such as preparation for space debris impacts and debris removal systems.
Toward the realization of Mars airplanes and similar vehicles, the lab has also started research and wind tunnel experiments that combine structural control with fluids and mechanisms.
Key terms
- Truss structure
- A framework in which bars are assembled into triangles so that it can withstand large forces while remaining light
- Space debris
- Human-made objects that keep orbiting the Earth, such as used satellites and rocket fragments
- Stratosphere
- The layer of the atmosphere about 10 to 50 kilometers above the ground, with almost no clouds and stable airflow
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
In designing space structures, it is necessary to consider not only strength but also energy issues and ease of control. This lab studies technologies for suppressing vibration and technologies for extracting energy from vibration, through both experiments and theory. The group of Associate Professor Otsuka studies wings that are folded for transport and unfolded in space, as well as large flexible structures.
*Illustrative imageVibration control of space structures
This research targets space stations, lunar bases, and satellites, aiming to suppress vibration and to reduce sound transmission and shock during launch. So that it can be used in space where power is limited, the lab demonstrates a method that suppresses vibration while generating its own power, using a truss structure set up in the lab.
*Illustrative imageEnergy harvesting from vibration
On the Moon, night lasts 14 days, so power cannot depend on solar generation alone. The lab therefore develops mechanisms that harvest energy from vibrating structures, aiming for technology that can also be used for moving bodies that cannot be connected by power cables, such as aircraft and automobiles.
*Illustrative imageCountermeasures against space debris
Collisions with space debris and meteoroids are a major challenge for space structures. In addition to working with JAXA to establish emergency countermeasures for collisions, the lab investigates the impact durability of conductive tethers used for debris removal and of inflatable structures through large-scale impact experiments.
*Illustrative imageMars airplanes and stratospheric platforms
In the thin atmosphere of Mars, large wings are needed, but the inside of the spacecraft that carries them is cramped, so a technology is needed to carry the wings folded and unfold them in flight after arrival. The lab built a computational method to reproduce the deployment of such wings and verifies it in a magnetic suspension wind tunnel. It is also taking on vehicles that keep flying in the stratosphere.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Makihara-Hara/Otsuka Lab are faculty, secretaries, postdoctoral researchers, and students in the doctoral, master's, and bachelor's programs.As of 2026
- ProfessorKanjuro Makihara
- Associate ProfessorKeisuke Otsuka
- Assistant ProfessorYushin Hara
- Assistant ProfessorTakumi Saito
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Yakeno LabFaculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringAerospace fluid engineeringThe information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “S121E07764 - STS-121 - View of the P6 Truss and Solar Array taken from the orbiter after undocking from the ISS during STS-121 - DPLA - 4dce24f38ba8ea0a052ec9b52a371ef4” National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 2/17/1973 / Public domain (cropped)
- Vibration control of space structures: “ISS s3-s4 truss hoist in the SSPF factory” NASA KSC / Public domain (cropped)
- Energy harvesting from vibration: “AS )” Project Apollo Archive / Public domain (cropped)
- Countermeasures against space debris: “Debris impacts on a LDEF panel” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Mars airplanes and stratospheric platforms: “Latest Mars Aircraft Prototype Flies (AFRC )” NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center / NASA/Ken Ulbrich / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (深見 研究室): “CFD Orbiter Model - GPN” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (齋藤(勇) 研究室): “Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Test Firing - GPN” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (桒原 研究室): “CubeSats launched by ISS Expedition 33” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (焼野 研究室): “JAXA 1.27m Hypersonic Wind Tunnel P4223597” Kestrel / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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