Shinichi YOKOTA

About

Shinichi Yokota is a pioneering robotics and microfluidics researcher whose career has been defined by a singular, transformative focus: harnessing electro-conjugate fluid (ECF) technology to create the next generation of soft, bio-inspired robotic systems. ECF — a dielectric functional fluid that generates powerful jet flows under high DC voltage — forms the cornerstone of Yokota's work, and his contributions have systematically expanded its applications from fundamental actuator design to sophisticated robotic systems. Yokota's most influential contributions include the development of micro artificial muscle cells and their integration into functional arrays, robotic hands capable of dexterous grasping through balloon actuators, micro inchworm robots, and in-pipe mobile robots — all powered by ECF. His 2011 robot hand work alone has accumulated nearly 60 citations, reflecting the field's recognition of ECF as a genuinely viable actuation paradigm. More recently, his team advanced MEMS fabrication techniques, introducing novel triangular prism electrode designs to miniaturize ECF micropumps for soft microrobotics. Collectively accumulating over 340 citations, Yokota's body of work represents a coherent and sustained effort to bridge functional fluid dynamics with practical robotics, offering researchers a compelling roadmap for building compact, soft, and hydraulically driven autonomous systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A robot hand using electro-conjugate fluid: Grasping experiment with balloon actuators inducing a palm motion of robot hand

   57 citations · 2011
2. 2
   Micro inchworm robot using electro-conjugate fluid

   56 citations · 2014
3. 3
   Development and control of a micro artificial muscle cell using electro-conjugate fluid

   48 citations · 2006
4. 4
   Integration of micro artificial muscle cells using electro-conjugate fluid

   39 citations · 2008
5. 5
   A robot hand using electro-conjugate fluid

   38 citations · 2011
6. 6
   Soft fiber-reinforced bending finger with three chambers actuated by ECF (electro-conjugate fluid) pumps

   37 citations · 2020
7. 7
   Triangular Prism and Slit Electrode Pair for ECF Jetting Fabricated by Thick Micromold and Electroforming as Micro Hydraulic Pressure Source for Soft Microrobots

   24 citations · 2016
8. 8
   A robot hand using electro-conjugate fluid

   20 citations · 2011
9. 9
   Electro-Conjugate Fluid Jet-Driven Micro Artificial Antagonistic Muscle Actuators and their Integration

   17 citations · 2010
10. 10
    An In-Pipe Mobile Robot Using Electro-Conjugate Fluid

    12 citations · 2011

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links