Junpei Okumura

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Junpei Okumura is a robotics researcher whose work focuses on the dynamic stabilization and autonomous navigation of unconventional single- and two-wheeled mobile robots. His key research areas include underactuated robot control, steering-based balance, and indoor navigation for minimalist platforms. Okumura’s major contributions center on demonstrating that small, inherently unstable robots—such as a two-wheeled bike robot and a unicycle robot with a wide-type wheel—can achieve stable, long-distance motion using only steering control. His 2010 paper on the bike robot (5 citations) showed that automatic steering alone could maintain balance and guide the robot over 300 meters indoors, a notable achievement for such a compact platform. In parallel, his work on the unicycle robot (4 citations) aimed to realize long-distance navigation in real indoor environments by integrating a laser range finder for path tracking. While his citation counts are modest, Okumura’s research is significant for pushing the boundaries of what minimal, low-cost robotic systems can accomplish, offering foundational insights into the control of non-holonomic and dynamically unstable vehicles.