Shigeru Sunada

Osaka Prefecture University, Nagoya University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Shigeru Sunada is a pioneering researcher in the field of aerial robotics, with a focus on the development of small, lightweight, and autonomous flying machines. His key research areas include micro aerial vehicle (MAV) design, autonomous navigation, and robotics for challenging environments. Sunada’s major contribution is the creation of a groundbreaking 200-gram battery-powered helicopter with a 35 cm rotor diameter, capable of autonomous hovering flight using infrared range finders for wall detection. This work, detailed in his 2005 paper “Navigation of Small and Lightweight Helicopter” (21 citations), laid the foundation for compact, indoor-capable drones. He further advanced the field through his 2019 paper “Recent R&D Technologies and Future Prospective of Flying Robot in Tough Robotics Challenge” (21 citations), which explores the next generation of flying robots designed for disaster response and hazardous environments. Sunada’s research has been instrumental in bridging the gap between theoretical robotics and practical, real-world applications, inspiring students and researchers to push the boundaries of autonomous flight in constrained and unpredictable settings.