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About

Dr. Keiji Hagiwara is a pioneering roboticist at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), whose work centers on autonomous mobile robotics for microgravity environments. His primary research focuses on developing crew-supportive camera robots that enhance operational efficiency aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Hagiwara’s most significant contribution is the creation of Int-Ball, the JEM Internal Ball Camera, a free-flying autonomous robot launched in 2017 via SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. This spherical drone, capable of independently navigating the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) to capture images and video, revolutionized onboard documentation by reducing astronaut workload. His foundational paper on Int-Ball (2019) has garnered 45 citations, reflecting its impact on space robotics. Building on this success, Hagiwara led the development of Int-Ball2 (2024), which introduces a higher degree of autonomy for seamless cooperation between astronauts and ground control. Though newer, this work has already earned 5 citations, signaling growing interest in advanced human-robot collaboration in space. Hagiwara’s innovations not only streamline ISS operations but also lay critical groundwork for future autonomous systems in deep-space missions, making him a key figure in the evolution of orbital robotics.