Kunimatsu Hashimoto
Papers
7
Total Citations
86
H-Index
4
About
Kunimatsu Hashimoto is a pioneering roboticist whose work spans human support robotics, anthropomorphic musical robots, and tactile sensing for manipulation. His most impactful contribution, "A field study of the human support robot in the home environment" (2013, 48 citations), addresses Japan’s aging population and workforce shortages by exploring how robots can coexist with families in domestic settings. This study laid groundwork for socially assistive robotics in caregiving contexts. Hashimoto is perhaps best known for his decade-long development of the Waseda Saxophonist Robot (WAS-2), an anthropomorphic platform with 22 degrees of freedom that mechanically reproduces human organs involved in saxophone playing. Through a series of papers (2010–2011), he advanced mechanisms for the oral cavity, fingers, and overblowing correction, enabling the robot to produce stable pitch and expressive performance. His work uniquely bridges engineering and motor control neuroscience, using robotic replication to understand human dexterity. More recently, Hashimoto contributed to "Soft-bubble" (2019, 4 citations), a highly compliant tactile sensor for safe robot manipulation in cluttered environments. His research demonstrates a rare combination of artistic expression, healthcare application, and fundamental robotics—showing how machines can both assist and inspire.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A field study of the human support robot in the home environment48 citations · 2013
- 2Development of an Anthropomorphic Saxophone-Playing Robot14 citations · 2010
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- 7Imitating the Saxophone playing by the anthropomorphic saxophonist robot2 citations · 2010