Papers
55
Total Citations
1,562
H-Index
17
About
Toshiharu Mukai is a pioneering roboticist whose research sits at the critical intersection of assistive robotics, tactile sensing, and soft actuator systems — fields with profound implications for aging societies worldwide. He is best known for leading the development of RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance), a nursing-care assistant robot capable of physically lifting patients from beds to wheelchairs, a breakthrough that garnered over 290 citations and addressed one of healthcare's most pressing physical burdens. His earlier work on RI-MAN, a human-interactive robot equipped with a sophisticated soft tactile sensor system, laid essential groundwork for safe human-robot physical interaction and has accumulated over 250 citations. Mukai's contributions extend into novel actuator technologies, including McKibben artificial muscles and pneumatic systems utilizing shape-memory polymers, advancing the field of compliant robotics. His work on binaural 3D sound localization and soft polymer gel manipulators further demonstrates his breadth across sensing and manipulation domains. Through a cohesive body of research spanning human-safe contact, intelligent motion control, and biomechanically inspired actuation, Mukai has established himself as a foundational figure in socially assistive and physically interactive robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Development of the Tactile Sensor System of a Human-Interactive Robot “RI-MAN”252 citations · 2008
- 3McKibben artificial muscle using shape-memory polymer94 citations · 2010
- 4
- 5Generation of Human Care Behaviors by Human-Interactive Robot RI-MAN70 citations · 2007
- 63D Sound Source Localization System Based on Learning of Binaural Hearing58 citations · 2006
- 7
- 8
- 9Tactile-based motion adjustment for the nursing-care assistant robot RIBA52 citations · 2011
- 10