Preserving "KODO Design" Craftmanship for Future Generations: How Motion Capture Technology Helps Takumi Masters Pass Down Their Skills

The Skills Dojo at Mazda HQ, where motion capture technology is used to pass on Takumi expertise.

I’m mainly responsible for data measurement and analysis using motion capture, while Suga takes care of data interpretation and skill instruction.

Motion capture was originally created for the field of entertainment, to make the movements of 3D characters in movies and games more realistic. At Mazda, we use this technology to pass down the skills needed to create the dies*¹ used for car body parts. We attach markers to the specialists and use multiple cameras to measure movements, making the differences between Takumi masters and apprentices visible through data.

*¹ Master forms used to create car parts. Dies are installed on the top and bottom of large  press machines, and parts are formed by pressing a single steel sheet between them. The precision of the die directly determines final quality.

At Mazda, we call our most skilled craftspeople, Takumi. But passing down their skills and knowledge can be challenging, especially the tacit skills that are difficult to express in words or data.

With the added challenge of declining birth rates, an aging population, and fewer people entering skilled trades, my predecessor tried to find ways to communicate these tacit skills, and researched different technologies. Motion capture emerged as a way to make Takumi expertise visible through data.

Using motion capture to collect and compare data shows clearly what’s not working, and that means those learning the skills can begin improving with more confidence.

Minoru Suga, Tool & Die Production Department. A Takumi master himself, Suga also served as a plant foreman for many years. For the last ten years, he has worked as an instructor at Skills Dojo, training Takumi apprentices. Initially, he struggled when their skills did not develop as expected, but with motion capture he can clearly pinpoint both areas for improvement and where they’re doing well, making it easier to encourage and develop skills.

Suga focuses his full attention as he observes a Takumi apprentice fitted with motion capture equipment.

Not immediately. Initially, we thought skills could be transferred just by copying movements, but when we actually tried it, things weren't that simple.

Human movement is incredibly complex, generating massive amounts of data. Choosing which data to use is very important, and tricky: Depending on how you use it, you could head in a completely different direction.

With enormous amounts of data to pull from, the difficult part was extracting the characteristics that define a Takumi. We also struggled with analysis methods and how to interpret the results. It’s not enough to simply analyze the data. You need someone with the Takumi skills who can interpret it too. That's why I work together with Suga, who is both a certified Takumi master and an instructor, to analyze and decide which data is relevant.

We air our doubts and questions and align our thinking. Repeating that process over and over has led to our current approach. When we analyze data, we find that even among Takumi, their intuition and techniques differ, leading to different movements. As I’ve moved away from hands-on manufacturing work, I often bring in Takahashi, a Takumi master who works directly in production, to get a third perspective.

Through this analysis, we discovered that Takumi skills aren't just the visible physical movements. Invisible elements like line-of-sight, weight distribution, and muscle use are extremely important. So, we also measure these elements based on movement data and apply the information to instruction.

Exactly. Takumi excellence involves technique not just in movement, but in muscle use and energy sustainability. Die finishing takes a long time and Takumi use their body efficiently without applying too much pressure to enable stable work over extended periods.

Cars are primarily made from steel, and we need dies to produce the body parts. The precision of the die determines the quality of our cars. At Mazda, we use machine processing to create dies with high precision, but then our Takumi add the final touches by hand to achieve "KODO Design"*².

"KODO Design" uses the play of light and shadow to create designs that make people feel like the car is a living being. To achieve this beauty, our dies must be perfect down to the micrometer level.

Even just a few micrometers off will affect the light reflection and create a completely different look. Using machines to process the parts has its limitations and the human touch is essential in the final calibration to achieve ”KODO Design.” In the last stages of die production, the designers are constantly visiting the factory to check and refine the quality alongside the Takumi.

*² KODO Design— ‘Soul of Motion’—is a Mazda design philosophy that aims to breathe life into cars by infusing the vitality and dynamic energy of living creatures.

It’s been really helpful. Data enables you to understand aspects of the job that can’t be explained with words alone. I can clearly see areas where I need to improve, and I work even harder on areas where I’m doing well. Where traditional training feels like climbing a staircase and pausing on each step, with this method it’s more like I’m on an escalator, consistently and efficiently moving toward my learning goal.

Right now, my level is not where it needs to be to deliver the quality expected by customers and my goal is to get to or above the level of a Takumi. Takumi masters work so effortlessly, quickly, and with beautiful results. As I watch, I’m always thinking about where the difference lies between their work and mine. When shaving the die, you think you’ve got it right only to find you’re off by a tiny amount, it’s so hard to get that precision. What’s great about Skills Dojo is how it uses data to show where I’m missing the mark.

Back when I was training, we were told to learn by watching, copying and stealing from the Takumi. It took time for us to improve and it must’ve been frustrating for those teaching.

Yes, I remember being told, “Move over, it’s easier if I just do it,” more than once (laughs)!

Now with motion capture, complex movements can be seen as data, so the gap between master and apprentice is easier to bridge. And being able to actually visualize improvements makes it rewarding to teach.

When I was a plant foreman, there was a period when Takumi training wasn’t progressing as I hoped, and I worried about how to properly transfer skills. There’s always going to be a gap between the ability of master and apprentice. But due to how complex human movement is, those undergoing training often believed they were doing it right, but I could see that they weren’t. There were times when no matter how much we practiced, we still couldn’t see any result.

Now, by looking at images and data, I can clearly see everyone’s progress. I’m amazed at how fast they improve and I can share that excitement with them directly. When they do something well, I make sure to tell them. It builds their confidence as well as mine.

Making skills visible through data really helps build confidence in Takumi training.

Instead of the old-fashioned strict ways, using data to measure skills lets everyone reach their full potential. Everyone can feel motivated and excited about what they’re doing. I want to create technology that makes work more enriching for everyone at Mazda, to allow us to make cars that bring joy to our customers.

Seeing new Takumi emerge is really exciting. When someone becomes a Takumi, we’re just as happy about it as they are.

When someone achieves Takumi status, we hold a ceremony. We tell them that Takumi is not just about applying your skills, it’s also about mentoring and making sure those skills are passed on. You can see the change in their face right away, becoming more serious and focused than in training. When I see that transformation, I know I’ve helped someone grow, and it makes me really happy.