About

Ken Nagasaka is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work spans humanoid robot locomotion, tactile sensing, and agricultural automation. Best known for his foundational contributions to bipedal robot motion control, Nagasaka developed integrated methods enabling humanoid robots to walk, jump, and run in real-time — work that has garnered over 219 citations and helped shape the trajectory of entertainment robotics. His development of ZMP-based dynamic walking pattern generation using the Optimal Gradient Method (158 citations) offered the field a elegantly simple yet broadly applicable framework for stable bipedal locomotion. Nagasaka played a central role in advancing Sony's SDR-4X robot platform, contributing motion creation systems, adaptive fall-over control, and human-robot interaction capabilities. His innovative full-body tactile sensor suit, constructed from conductive fabric and strings (137 citations), demonstrated creative thinking at the intersection of materials science and robot perception. He also explored evolutionary computation approaches, applying genetic algorithms and neural networks to teach robots visually guided motion. In later years, Nagasaka broadened his scope to agricultural robotics, contributing a highly regarded review of intelligent fruit-harvesting systems (48 citations). Across more than two decades, his interdisciplinary research has meaningfully advanced both humanoid robotics and practical autonomous systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

11
H-Index
15
Papers
846
Total Citations
56
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Integrated motion control for walking, jumping and running on a small bipedal entertainment robot
219 citations · 2004
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2004 (5 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 37
🏛 Institutions: The University of Tokyo, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Sony (Taiwan)

Top Papers

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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
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