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About

Shun Kakehashi is a researcher dedicated to making programming education accessible to all, with a particular focus on learners with visual impairments. His key research area lies in developing tangible, block-based programming tools that bypass traditional screen-dependent interfaces. His major contribution is the creation and iterative refinement of **P-CUBE**, an innovative educational system where users control a mobile robot by physically positioning wooden blocks on a mat. This approach teaches fundamental programming concepts—such as sequences, loops, and conditionals—through tactile and spatial interaction, removing the visual barriers inherent in standard code editors. The impact of this work is demonstrated by his most-cited paper, "P-CUBE: Block Type Programming Tool for Visual Impairments" (22 citations), which established the foundation for inclusive CS education. Subsequent studies, including "Improvement of P-CUBE" (19 citations), validated the tool's effectiveness for both visually impaired persons and complete beginners. Notably, Kakehashi’s research has been applied in real-world programming workshops, proving P-CUBE’s practicality beyond the lab. By championing a hands-on, hardware-integrated approach, Kakehashi has opened a vital pathway for novice and visually impaired programmers to engage with computational thinking.