Masaharu Moteki

National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Masaharu Moteki is a leading figure in the automation of heavy construction machinery, with a core focus on autonomous hydraulic excavators and intelligent construction systems. His foundational work, "Basic Technology toward Autonomous Hydraulic Excavator" (2009), has garnered 23 citations and laid the critical groundwork for robotic earthmoving. Moteki’s major contributions include pioneering bucket trajectory control, force feedback for excavation, and real-time 3D terrain mapping—technologies that directly address the construction industry’s urgent need to replace dangerous, repetitive manual tasks with safe, precise automation. His research bridges advanced control theory and practical civil engineering, demonstrating how hydraulic systems can be transformed into intelligent, self-operating platforms. Beyond his most-cited paper, Moteki has been instrumental in developing teleoperation and semi-autonomous systems for disaster response and infrastructure maintenance. His work is widely recognized for accelerating the adoption of robotics in construction, significantly improving both worker safety and operational efficiency. For students and researchers, Moteki’s career exemplifies how targeted engineering innovation can modernize a traditionally labor-intensive industry, making hazardous work safer and more productive.