Yoshiaki Shirai

About

Yoshiaki Shirai is a pioneering researcher whose career spans the foundational decades of computer vision, robotics, and artificial intelligence. His earliest landmark contribution, "Recognition of Polyhedrons with a Range Finder" (1972), established him as a trailblazer in 3D object recognition, earning 110 citations and helping lay the groundwork for modern machine perception. Over subsequent decades, Shirai developed a cohesive research program centered on autonomous mobile robot navigation under uncertainty — a theme that runs through his most influential work. His 2002 paper on human-guided visual navigation (102 citations) and his development of real-time omnidirectional stereo vision for detecting moving obstacles demonstrate his commitment to practical, robust robotic systems capable of operating in dynamic real-world environments. Shirai's broader intellectual contributions include a widely referenced textbook on artificial intelligence (1984), reflecting his ability to synthesize and communicate complex concepts across the field. His frameworks for vision-motion planning, uncertainty modeling in stereo vision, and adaptive robot speed control have collectively shaped how researchers approach the challenge of intelligent, perceptually-aware robots. With cumulative citations exceeding 470, Shirai's legacy represents decades of rigorous, forward-thinking inquiry bridging AI theory and robotic application.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Recognition of polyhedrons with a range finder

   110 citations · 1972
2. 2
   Autonomous visual navigation of a mobile robot using a human-guided experience

   102 citations · 2002
3. 3
   Recognizing Moving Obstacles for Robot Navigation using Real-time Omnidirectional Stereo Vision

   52 citations · 2002
4. 4
   Adaptive robot speed control by considering map and motion uncertainty

   46 citations · 2005
5. 5
   Vision and Motion Planning for a Mobile Robot under Uncertainty

   35 citations · 1997
6. 6
   Illumination setup planning for a hand-eye system based on an environmental model

   29 citations · 1991
7. 7
   Artificial Intelligence: Concepts, Techniques, and Applications

   29 citations · 1984
8. 8
   Building a world model for a mobile robot using dynamic semantic constraints

   27 citations · 1989
9. 9
   On-line viewpoint and motion planning for efficient visual navigation under uncertainty

   24 citations · 1999
10. 10
    An Uncertainty Model of Stereo Vision and Its Application to Vision-Motion Planning of Robot

    20 citations · 1993

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links