Papers
67
Total Citations
1,475
H-Index
20
About
Hidenobu Sumioka is a pioneering researcher whose work spans human-robot interaction, social robotics, and embodied cognition. His scholarship explores some of the most fundamental questions in robotics: how humans perceive, trust, and emotionally relate to robots, and how physical embodiment shapes both robotic and biological systems. Sumioka has made substantial contributions to understanding anthropomorphism in robotics, examining how a robot's appearance and behavior influence human responses including trust, empathy, and perceived threat. His highly cited work on the uncanny valley (113 citations) and dual anthropomorphism (106 citations) has deepened our understanding of the psychological dynamics underlying human-robot relationships. His most-cited paper on body schema in robotics (243 citations) remains an influential reference bridging neuroscience, psychology, and robotics research. Beyond perception and psychology, Sumioka has explored morphological computation and spine-driven quadruped locomotion, demonstrating how physical body structures can serve as computational resources. More recently, his compassionate applied research has focused on designing minimally human-like robots for dementia care and mental health support, including robots that encourage self-disclosure to reduce negative moods. Together, his body of work reflects a rare synthesis of theoretical rigor and meaningful real-world application.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Body Schema in Robotics: A Review243 citations · 2010
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- 9Embodiment enables the spinal engine in quadruped robot locomotion35 citations · 2012
- 10A Robot That Encourages Self-Disclosure to Reduce Anger Mood33 citations · 2021