Motoi Kinoshita

Papers

Total Citations

419

H-Index

About

Motoi Kinoshita is a pioneer in the field of photomechanical materials and soft robotics, whose work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of how light can be harnessed to create motion in polymer systems. His most celebrated contribution is the development of "photomobile polymer materials," which integrate crosslinked azobenzene liquid-crystalline polymers with flexible films to produce complex, three-dimensional movements. This breakthrough, detailed in his highly influential 2008 paper (379 citations), demonstrated devices capable of walking like an "inchworm" and moving like a "robotic arm" under light irradiation—a foundational step for light-driven soft actuators. Kinoshita has also made critical contributions to the mechanical characterization of flexible films, introducing a surface-labelled grating method (2014, 40 citations) that enables facile strain analysis of largely bending films. This work is essential for designing stretchable electronics, wearable biointegrated devices, and soft microactuators. By bridging materials chemistry and mechanical engineering, Kinoshita’s research continues to inspire innovations in responsive materials and bioinspired robotics.