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About

Junji Takaki is a leading engineer in astronomical instrumentation, whose work has been pivotal to the realization of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). His primary research focuses on the structural and robotic systems required for next-generation extremely large telescopes. Takaki’s major contribution lies in his leadership of the preliminary design for the TMT’s Telescope Structure System (STR), a massive, precision framework that must support the telescope’s 30-meter primary mirror. Overseeing this complex design effort, he ensured the structure could withstand operational and environmental loads while maintaining nanometer-level optical alignment. Beyond structural design, Takaki pioneered advanced force control technology for the TMT’s Segment Handling System (SHS). His work on the Segment Mirror Exchange Robot is critical, enabling the safe, reliable, and automated replacement of the telescope’s 492 mirror segments—a task essential for maintenance and recoating. This force control innovation, documented in his highly cited 2016 paper, is a key enabling technology for the observatory’s long-term operation. With over a decade of dedicated work on the TMT, Takaki’s engineering achievements are foundational to one of astronomy’s most ambitious projects.