National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) This page is a page of the former research institute. We stopped updating on March 31.2001.
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Overview
The Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, originally known as the “Government Mechanical Laboratory”was founded in 1937 with the aim of doing original research to contribute toward the development of the Japanese engineering industry, in order to reduce it's dependence on overseas technology. Since its establishment, the laboratory has been able to make significant progress towards this goal by, nurturing original ideas and creative research which have helped contribute towards the rapid development of the mechanical engineering capabilities of Japanese industry.
Mechanical engineering makes use of, and is used in, a wide variety of technologies. For instance; electricity, electronics, computers and information processing, and chemistry. There is a considerable overlap between mechanical engineering and other fields and so as new techniques are developed it is necessary to oversee their assimilation into the technological community as a whole. For instance, mechatronics and opto-mechatronics are not only important in the engineering industries, but advancements in these fields also have significant impact on many other areas. Thus, significant gains can be expected by the appropriate combination of techniques from widely differing fields.Recognition and promotion of this aspect is an important part of the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory.
Of course, the laboratory still maintains it's traditional aim of developing traditional technologies to their fundamental limits but the needs of modern industrial society asks that we must now also play an active role in the interfacing of mechanical engineering with other fields, and the development and introduction of a wide range of innovative ideas.
Through our research and the knowledge base which was attained over the years, the laboratory contributes towards the implantation of government and MITI policies. Concurrently, the laboratory meets and supports the needs of Japanese industry for the development of new engineering technologies the future.
Research at MEL is carried out on the following seven main areas:

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