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About

Hiroki Murakami is a robotics researcher whose work spans flexible manipulator modeling, cooperative multi-robot systems, force control, and industrial automation. His most influential contribution, a 3D mass-spring model for real-time control of flexible-link robots, has garnered 44 citations and laid important groundwork for dynamic modeling of compliant robotic arms using Lagrange's method — work further elaborated in his 1990 paper on three-degree-of-freedom manipulators with two flexible links (29 citations). Murakami has also made notable strides in cooperative robotics, proposing a leader-follower control strategy enabling multiple mobile robots to collaboratively transport objects with minimal coordination overhead (31 citations). His 1996 work on task-oriented force control for shield tunnel segment assembly (27 citations) demonstrates a strong applied focus, bridging theoretical control design with demanding industrial challenges. Later in his career, Murakami turned his attention to human-robot collaboration and precision finishing automation, developing hand-guided robot systems for automotive assembly lines and automated polishing robots that reduce dependence on specialized worker skills. Across his body of work, Murakami consistently bridges rigorous mechanical modeling with practical deployment, making meaningful contributions to both foundational robotics theory and real-world manufacturing automation.