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About

Shunichi Hattori is a leading researcher in bipedal locomotion and humanoid robotics, best known for challenging the conventional ZMP (Zero Moment Point) paradigm. His landmark 2006 paper, "A universal stability criterion of the foot contact of legged robots - adios ZMP" (188 citations), introduced the Contact Wrench Sum (CWS) as a more general stability criterion. This work fundamentally shifted how researchers assess dynamic balance, enabling robots to maintain stability even when using handrails or walking on rough terrain—scenarios where traditional ZMP-based methods fail. Hattori further demonstrated the practical power of CWS in his 2008 paper on pattern generation for walking with handrail support. Beyond locomotion, he contributed to the Japanese Humanoid Robotics Project (HRP), developing user interfaces for service robots in caregiving contexts. His research also explores human-robot communication, particularly for elderly users, through the concept of "Humatronics"—an approach aimed at reducing the asymmetrical burden between humans and machines. With foundational contributions that have shaped modern legged locomotion theory, Hattori’s work remains essential reading for anyone working on dynamic walking, contact stability, or assistive humanoid systems.