Masahide Sato

Papers

Total Citations

306

H-Index

About

Masahide Sato is a pioneering roboticist whose research centers on the design and control of innovative locomotion and manipulation systems for mobile robots. His most influential work introduced a groundbreaking **holonomic omnidirectional mobile robot** featuring a decoupled drive mechanism, which allows for independent, non-redundant control of three degrees of freedom (DOF). This design, detailed in his 2002 paper (198 citations), eliminated the complex coupling issues typical of earlier omnidirectional platforms, enabling smooth and precise motion in any direction—a critical capability for robots operating in tight or dynamic environments. Sato further advanced robotic efficiency with his **coupled drive** concept (2003, 65 citations), a method for minimizing robot weight by allowing multiple DOF to share actuators during common movement patterns. He also explored multi-robot cooperation, proposing a **mutual transportation system** using forklift mechanisms (2002, 43 citations) that enables teams of robots to collaboratively lift and move heavy objects or overcome large obstacles. Through these contributions, Sato has fundamentally shaped the fields of omnidirectional mobility and cooperative robotics, providing foundational designs that continue to inspire researchers in autonomous navigation and multi-agent systems.