Preface

The idea of an IFToMM Conference on MMS (Mechanism and Machine Science) as regional event in Asia was born during 2007. The present editors assumed the task of making this idea a reality by stimulating and indeed organizing the First IFToMM Asian Conference on MMS and by co-editing this special Journal issue. The IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 was held in Taipei, Taiwan, China, 21–25 October 2010. This has been the first event of a series that has been started as a conference activity mainly for promoting MMS in Asian IFToMM community. The second event has been scheduled in 2012 in Tokyo, Japan.

IFToMM, International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (http://www.iftomm.org), is the world wide institution of reference whose mission is to promote research and development in the field of Machines and Mechanisms by theoretical and experimental methods, along with their practical application. IFToMM activity is aimed with a vision to provide leadership for cooperation and development of modern results in the Mechanism and Machine Science by assisting and enhancing international collaboration

The 2010 IFToMM Asian Conference on MMS was aiming at bringing together researchers, scholars and students from the broad ranges of disciplines referring to MMS in a unique multidisciplinary forum to discuss and share the last advances in MMS mainly in Asiatic countries.

The CD Proceedings of IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 contains 148 papers that have been selected after review for oral presentation. These papers cover several aspects of the wide field of MMS, with contributions by authors from a total of 18 countries, and other continents but with collaborations with Asiatic colleagues. All the papers that have been accepted for IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 are of good quality with interesting contents.

This special Journal issue has been obtained as a result of a second review process and selection, however only seven papers of the papers received due attention for this special issue from reviewers.

We would like to express grateful thanks to the members of the International Steering Committee for IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 for co-operating enthusiastically for the success of the 2010 event and this special issue.

We thank the authors who have contributed with very interesting papers in several subjects, covering many fields of MMS and additionally for their cooperation in revising papers in short time in agreement with reviewers’ comments. We are grateful to the reviewers for the time and effort they spent in evaluating the papers with a very tighten schedule that has permitted the early publication of this special issue

We thank the Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, China, for having hosted the IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 event.

We like also to thank the auspices and support of IFToMM.

We will like to thank the publisher and editorial staff of this special Journal for accepting and helping the publication of this special issue, since the early step in 2007.

We are grateful to our families since without their patience and comprehension, it would not have been possible for us to organize IFToMM Asian MMS 2010 and this Journal special issue.

University of Cassino and Taiwan University, January 2011

Prof. Marco Ceccarelli (Guest Co-Editor for 2010 IFToMM Asian MMS special issue)

Prof. Shuo-Hung Chang (Guest Co-Editor for 2010 IFToMM Asian MMS special issue)

July 25, 2011