Ko Sano

Sanyo (Japan), Mitutoyo Corporation (Japan)

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Ko Sano is a robotics researcher specializing in the development of portable underwater robots for environmental sampling, with a particular focus on sediment core collection. His primary contributions center on creating human-portable remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) capable of extracting soil cores from aquatic environments—a task traditionally requiring heavy, specialized equipment. Sano’s foundational work, "Development of a human-portable underwater robot for soil core sampling" (2013, 15 citations), introduced a novel ROV design integrating a core sampling pipe. He subsequently addressed performance limitations in "Improvement of a human-portable underwater robot for soil core sampling" (2014, 9 citations), refining the robot’s shape to reduce drag and enhance translational motion efficiency. Most recently, in "Sediment penetration performance of a portable underwater robot for core sampling" (2023, 6 citations), Sano developed a mathematical model based on undrained shear strength to predict and optimize the robot’s ability to penetrate sediment using limited thruster force. His work bridges practical engineering and theoretical modeling, enabling compact, accessible tools for marine geology and environmental monitoring. With a cumulative impact of over 30 citations, Sano’s research is steadily advancing the field of portable underwater robotics.