Masahiro Shiomi
Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, The University of Osaka, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Advanced Science, Technology & Management Research Institute of Kyoto, University of San Diego, Kyoto Seika University, Robotics Research (United States), Doshisha University, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Unitika (Japan)
Papers
176
Total Citations
4,922
H-Index
37
About
Masahiro Shiomi is a pioneering researcher in social and communication robotics, with particular expertise in human-robot interaction within real-world public environments. His work has fundamentally shaped how robots engage with people in everyday settings such as shopping malls, science museums, and classrooms, bridging the gap between controlled laboratory research and genuine field deployment. Shiomi's most celebrated contributions include the development of affective guide robots and communication robots designed to navigate the social complexities of busy public spaces — recognizing potential customers, building rapport, and delivering information naturally amid noise and unpredictability. His 2009 and 2010 shopping mall studies (297 and 296 citations respectively) remain landmark references in service robotics. His earlier museum-based humanoid robot trials (217 citations) demonstrated how robots could meaningfully support informal learning and visitor engagement. Beyond service applications, Shiomi has explored robots as passive social media, socially acceptable navigation among pedestrians, assistive robots for elderly users, and science curiosity stimulation in classrooms. Collectively, his portfolio reflects a sustained commitment to understanding how robots can be genuinely integrated into human social life — not merely as tools, but as contextually aware, emotionally resonant partners. His cumulative citation impact across ten papers alone exceeds 1,700 citations, underscoring his lasting influence on the field.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1An affective guide robot in a shopping mall297 citations · 2009
- 2A Communication Robot in a Shopping Mall296 citations · 2010
- 3Interactive humanoid robots for a science museum217 citations · 2006
- 4
- 5Interactive Humanoid Robots for a Science Museum168 citations · 2007
- 6Humanoid robots as a passive-social medium137 citations · 2007
- 7
- 8Can a Social Robot Stimulate Science Curiosity in Classrooms?126 citations · 2015
- 9
- 10Who will be the customer?109 citations · 2008