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About

Tomoki Watanabe is a pioneering roboticist whose work bridges bio-inspired engineering and extreme environment exploration. His primary research focuses on developing novel drilling and excavation robots for seafloor and lunar applications, drawing inspiration from earthworm locomotion. Watanabe’s most significant contribution is the creation of an underwater drilling robot that mimics peristaltic motion, enabling efficient seabed soil sampling for mineral resource analysis—a breakthrough that has garnered 67 citations. He further advanced this technology by integrating water jetting mechanisms to improve excavation depth, achieving 430 mm penetration in seafloor sediments. His work extends to space exploration, where he developed the lunar excavation robot “LEAVO,” which successfully drilled 938 mm vertically into simulated lunar regolith, demonstrating the potential for subsurface sampling on the Moon. With over 110 total citations across his publications, Watanabe’s impact is evident in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial robotics. His recent research on subsea drone inspections for sustainable offshore operations and open-space motion planning for mobile robots showcases his versatility. Watanabe’s bio-inspired designs are paving the way for autonomous exploration of Earth’s oceans and other planetary bodies, making him a key figure in the future of extreme-environment robotics.