Wataru Yamazaki

Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Wataru Yamazaki is a robotics researcher whose work bridges the gap between human dexterity and robotic manipulation, with a particular focus on textile handling and multi-agent systems. His most cited paper introduces the NAIST Openhand M2S, a versatile two-finger gripper uniquely adapted for pulling and tucking textiles—a notoriously difficult task for automation due to the deformable and flexible nature of fabric. This work, with 12 citations, addresses a critical bottleneck in manufacturing automation. Yamazaki also contributes to the field of imitation learning through his work on hand pose estimation and motion recognition using egocentric RGB-D video (9 citations), enabling robots to learn manipulation skills by observing human hand-object interactions. Earlier in his career, he developed a negotiation protocol for multi-agent robot systems (5 citations), proposing a framework where agents verify task feasibility through knowledge-based reasoning. This foundational work demonstrates his long-standing interest in cooperative robotics. Yamazaki’s research is notable for tackling real-world manipulation challenges—from handling textiles to understanding human hand motion—making his work relevant for advancing robotic automation in manufacturing and service industries.