Kota Fujimoto

About Me

PhD Student (CV / ORCiD),
e-Mobility and Control Lab,
Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.

Project

Doctoral Research: UAV-Oriented Control and System Design for In-flight Inductive Power Transfer Systems (Tentative Title)

In my doctoral research, as shown in Fig. 1, I am conducting a study to extend the flight time of drones by applying wireless power transmission using magnetic resonance to drones in flight. As of October 2023, the flight time of battery-powered rotor-type drones is about 40 minutes at most, and it is said that the market price is about 20 minutes. On the other hand, when considering the industrial use of drones for security, inspection, and transportation purposes, this flight time is not sufficient. My research fundamentally solves this problem and realizes a drone with theoretically infinite flight time.
An example of the social implementation of in-flight charging is shown in Fig. 2. In-flight charging is effective for operations that use a fixed route, and in Fig. 2, the drone is involved in security operations that circulate a fixed route. In this operation, the drone departs from the drone port, monitors the factory while making a round, and finally returns to the drone port and lands and charges. Depending on the size of the site, with the current technology, drones need to charge every round, making it difficult to increase the operation rate of the aircraft. On the other hand, if a power transmission coil for in-flight charging is installed on the drone's surveillance route, it is possible to supply power to the drone that is monitoring. This eliminates the need to stop at the drone port every round, making it possible to improve the operation rate of the aircraft. By improving the operation rate of the aircraft, it is possible to reduce the number of aircraft necessary for the operation, or to operate with a larger number of aircraft.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Achievement

International Journal (Peer-reviewed)

Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Yoshihiro Isaoka, Yuki Terada, "High Precision Control for Twin-Drive Machine Tool Based on Mode Decoupling with Virtual Viscosity," IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (Early Access), 2025, doi: 10.1109/TMECH.2025.3567273.
Takuma Katagiri, Kentaro Yokota, Kota Fujimoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Wind Tunnel Verification of Velocity Control in Wing Coordinate System Using Acceleration-Based Disturbance Observer for Tilt-Wing eVTOL," IEEJ Journal of Industry Applications, Vol. 14, No. 2,pp. 188-195, 2025, 10.1541/ieejjia.24005235.

International Conference (Peer-reviewed)

Shikauchi Yutaka, Kota Fujimoto, Osamu Shimizu, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Shuji Kawano, "Verification of Big Data Analysis on Wireless Power Transfer For Electric Vehicles Focused on Traffic Signal GPS," in 7th International Electric Vehicle Technology Conference 2025 (EVTeC), Yokohama, Japan, 2025.
Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Yoshihiro Isaoka, Yuki Terada, "High Precision Control for Parallel Twin-Drive Machine Tool System Based on Offline Parameter Identification Focusing on Differential Mode," in The 11st IEEJ international workshop on Sensing, Actuation, Motion Control, and Optimization (SAMCON), Shimane, Japan, 2025.
Takuma Katagiri, Kota Fujimoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Trajectory Tracking Control of Tilt-Wing eVTOL Using Aerodynamic Coupling Observer and Wing Angle Correction Method", in The 2025 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics (ICM), Wollongong, Australia, 2025
Pinzhe Feng, Yuto Naoki, Kota Fujimoto, Kentaro Yokota, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto "Basic Study on Short Distance Landing Control with Reverse Thrust of Variable Pitch Propeller for Fixed Wing Electric Aircraft," in The 2025 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics (ICM), Wollongong, Australia, 2025
Kota Fujimoto, Osamu Shimizu, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Jin Katsuya, Tetsu Sato, "Feasibility Study for Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer in Simulation with Big Data Focusing on Battery Capacity Requirement of Electric Vehicles," in the 27th edition of the International Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), Ischia, Italy, 2024.
Sakahisa Nagai, Yusuke Satoh, Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Sensorless Drone Detection for In-Flight Inductive Power Transfer Using Transmitter-Side Voltage Pulses," in IEEE 2024 Wireless Power Technology Conference and Expo (WPTCE), Kyoto, Japan, 2024, doi: 0.1109/WPTCE59894.2024.10557296.
Takuma Katagiri, Kentaro Yokota, Kota Fujimoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Basic Study on Velocity Control in Wing Coordinate System Using Acceleration-based Disturbance Observer for Tilt-wing eVTOL," in The 10th IEEJ international workshop on Sensing, Actuation, Motion Control, and Optimization (SAMCON), Kyoto, Japan, 2024.
Shogo Yamada, Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Basic Study on Robust Perfect Tracking Control Based on Parameter Estimation Reducing Outlier Effects," in The 10th IEEJ international workshop on Sensing, Actuation, Motion Control, and Optimization (SAMCON), Kyoto, Japan, 2024.
Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Alessandro Correa Victorino, Pedro Castillo, "Optimal Energy Trajectory Generation Based on Pitch-Dependent Mutual Inductance Model for In-Flight Inductive Power Transfer of Drones," in IEEE 18th International Conference on Advanced Motion Control (AMC), Kyoto, Japan, 2024, doi: 0.1109/AMC58169.2024.10505445.
Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Yoshihiro Isaoka, Yuki Terada, "High Precision Control for Twin-Drive System Based on Mode Decoupling with Virtual Viscosity: Equivalent Controller Transform for Machine Tool," in IEEE 18th International Conference on Advanced Motion Control (AMC), Kyoto, Japan, 2024, doi: 0.1109/AMC58169.2024.10505638.
Kota Fujimoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Binh-Minh Nguyen, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Test Bench Study on Attitude Estimation in Ground Effect Region Based on Motor Current for In-Flight Inductive Power Transfer of Drones," in IEEE 2023 The 49th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON), Singapore, 2023, doi: 0.1109/IECON51785.2023.10312055. [arXiv]
Yusuke Satoh, Kota Fujimoto, Ryo Matsumoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Binh-Minh Nguyen, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Basic Study on Received Power Control of In-Flight Inductive Power Transfer for Drones by Active Rectifier Switching and Altitude Regulation," in IEEE 2023 The 49th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON), Singapore, 2023, doi: 10.1109/IECON51785.2023.10312000.
Kota Fujimoto, Takumi Hamada and Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Proposal on Model Based Current Overshoot Suppression of Receiver Side Coil in Drone Wireless Power Transfer System," in IEEE 2022 Wireless Power Week (WPW), pp. 235-239, Bordeaux, France, 2022, doi: 10.1109/WPW54272.2022.9854039. [arXiv]

Domestic Conference (Not-reviewed)

Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Yoshihiro Isaoka, Yuki Terada, "High Precision Control for Twin-Drive System of Machine Tool Based on Mode Decoupling with Virtual Viscosity: Feedforward Realization of Virtual Viscosity on Two-Inertia System," in IEE-Japan Technical Meeting on Mechatronics Control (PSS), No. MEC-24-012, Tokyo, 2024
Kota Fujimoto , Sakahisa Nagai, Binh-Minh Nguyen, Hiroshi Fujimoto,"Motor Current Based Attitude Estimation Considering Ground Eﬀect for In-ﬂight Inductive Power Transfer of Drones: Basic Concept and Test-Bench Evaluation," in IEE-Japan 2024 Industry Applications Society Conference (JIASC), No. 1-60, Mito City Civic Center, 2024.
Kota Fujimoto, Yusuke Satoh, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Basic Study on Receiving-Side System Design of In-flight Inductive Power Transfer for Drones Considering Weight Limitation," in IEE-Japan Joint Technical Meeting on Power Engineering/Power Systems Engineering/Semiconductor Power Converter (SPC), No. PE-24-059,PSE-24-071,SPC-24-113, Nagasaki, 2024.
Kota Fujimoto, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Yoshihiro Isaoka, Yuki Terada, "High Precision Control for Twin-Drive System of Machine Tool Based on Mode Decoupling with Virtual Viscosity: Basic Study on Two-Inertia System," in IEE-Japan Technical Meeting on Mechatronics Control (PSS), No. MEC-23-011, Tokyo, 2023
Yusuke Satoh, Kota Fujimoto, Ryo Matsumoto, Sakahisa Nagai, Binh-Minh Nguyen, Hiroshi Fujimoto, "Basic Study on Flight Altitude and Battery Current Control in In-Flight Wireless Power Transfer for Drones," in IEE-Japan Joint Technical Meeting on Power Engineering/Power Systems Engineering/Semiconductor Power Converter (SPC), No. SPC23141 , Okinawa, 2023.
Kota Fujimoto, Osamu Shimizu, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Jin Katsuya, Tetsu Sato, "Requirement Analysis for Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer with Big Data from Real Vehicles," in IEE-Japan Joint Technical Meeting on Power Engineering/Power Systems Engineering/Semiconductor Power Converter (SPC), No. PE-23-084,PSE-23-090,SPC-23-140, Okinawa, 2023.
Kota Fujimoto , Kentaro Yokota, Sakahisa Nagai, Hiroshi Fujimoto,"Modeling and Verification of Pitch-Dependent Coupling Coefficient for WPT to Flying Drone," in IEE-Japan 2021 Industry Applications Society Conference (JIASC), No. 48 ,Nagaoka University of Technology, 2021.

Award

2025 IEEJ Industry Applications Society Excellent Presentation Award, The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan
APET Excellent Poster Presentation Award 3rd Prize, Alliance for Advanced Power & Environmental Technology
2021 IEEJ Excellent Presentation Award, The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan

Fellowship

Fostering Advanced Human Resources to Lead Green Transformation (SPRING GX), From April 2023