Papers
67
Total Citations
3,776
H-Index
23
About
Fumihide Tanaka is a pioneering researcher in social robotics and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on educational applications for children. His work sits at the intersection of robotics, child development, and learning science, exploring how robots can serve not merely as teachers but as collaborative, care-receiving companions that actively engage young learners. Tanaka's most influential contribution, "Social Robots for Education: A Review" (2018), has accumulated over 1,445 citations and remains a foundational reference in the field, demonstrating that robots can match human tutoring outcomes on specific tasks. His landmark longitudinal study embedding a social robot in a toddler classroom for over five months (470 citations) revealed nuanced dynamics of child-robot socialization, showing that unpredictability in robot behavior sustained children's engagement. Perhaps most innovative is his "care-receiving robot" concept, in which children teach robots rather than being taught by them — a role reversal that leverages the protégé effect to deepen learning outcomes. Tanaka has also explored telepresence robots for cross-language education and contributed ethical frameworks for deploying robots responsibly around young children. His body of work has fundamentally shaped how researchers and educators conceptualize robots as social participants in learning environments.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Social robots for education: A review1,445 citations · 2018
- 2Socialization between toddlers and robots at an early childhood education center470 citations · 2007
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- 4Pepper learns together with children: Development of an educational application177 citations · 2015
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- 6Daily HRI evaluation at a classroom environment113 citations · 2006
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- 9Care-receiving robot as a tool of teachers in child education51 citations · 2010
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