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About

Takateru Urakubo is a robotics and control systems researcher whose work spans mobile robotics, nonholonomic systems, and novel robot mechanisms. His most influential contributions center on feedback control for two-wheeled mobile robots and the development of gyro-equipped spherical rolling robots — a distinctive area where he has made sustained, pioneering contributions across kinematic modeling, dynamic modeling, and experimental validation. Urakubo's early work established foundational methods for motion control of two-wheeled mobile robots, including real-world considerations such as wheel skidding (2001, 35 citations), while his Lyapunov-based control framework for nonholonomic systems (2002, 26 citations) provided a versatile design methodology adopted broadly in the field. His research on obstacle avoidance using potential functions (2005, 41 citations; 2015, 49 citations) stands among his most impactful contributions, elegantly combining stability guarantees with practical navigation. The gyro-driven spherical robot represents a signature achievement — from initial concept and control design (2006, 58 citations) through prototype development and refined dynamic modeling — demonstrating both theoretical rigor and engineering creativity. Additional work on blimp hovering control and legged robot jumping optimization reveals a researcher comfortable tackling diverse, challenging platforms. With over 290 cumulative citations, Urakubo's research offers students and engineers robust frameworks for controlling complex, underactuated robotic systems.