Masami Sato

Papers

Total Citations

119

H-Index

About

Masami Sato is a pioneering researcher in human-robot collaboration and robotic-assisted surgery, with a career spanning two decades of impactful contributions. Her foundational work on the "Mobile Robot Helper" (MR Helper), introduced in her 2002 paper with 100 citations, established key principles for cooperative human-robot object handling. She developed the innovative object trajectory-following method, enabling mobile manipulators to track and assist with objects manipulated by humans, a core contribution to safe and intuitive human-robot interaction. This work, detailed in her 2002 paper (16 citations), laid groundwork for assistive robotics in manufacturing and healthcare. More recently, Sato has advanced robotic surgery, notably with her 2021 study on three-incision robotic major lung resection for cancer (3 citations). This technique reduces the number of incisions required in robotic thoracic surgery, minimizing patient trauma and arm interference—a significant step toward less invasive procedures. Her research demonstrates a unique trajectory from foundational human-robot cooperation to direct clinical applications, bridging engineering and medicine. With over 119 citations across her key works, Sato’s impact lies in making robots more collaborative and surgical interventions less invasive.