Papers
7
Total Citations
413
H-Index
7
About
Hiroaki Kurokawa is a pioneering figure in modular and self-reconfigurable robotics, a field he has helped define through decades of foundational research. His work centers on the design, control, and planning of cellular robots—autonomous modules that can change their shape and locomotion to adapt to unknown environments. Kurokawa’s most impactful contribution is the development of the M-TRAN series, a modular robotic system capable of both self-reconfiguration and whole-body motion. His seminal 2007 review, *Self-reconfigurable robots*, has garnered over 214 citations, establishing it as a key reference in the field. He also advanced automatic locomotion pattern generation (80+ citations) and distributed adaptive control for modular systems (65+ citations), demonstrating how genetic algorithms can evolve dynamic motion and reconfiguration processes in hardware. Kurokawa’s work addresses the computationally difficult problem of reconfiguration planning, introducing randomized planners and coherent control structures to manage the high degrees of freedom in modular robots. His research has profoundly influenced the design of resilient, shape-shifting robots for extreme environments, and his M-TRAN platform remains a benchmark for modular robotics innovation.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Self-reconfigurable robots214 citations · 2007
- 2Automatic locomotion pattern generation for modular robots80 citations · 2004
- 3Distributed adaptive locomotion by a modular robotic system, M-TRAN II65 citations · 2005
- 4Motion simulation of a modular robotic system20 citations · 2002
- 5
- 6Reconfiguration planning for a self-assembling modular robot9 citations · 2002
- 7