Minoru Kimura

Fukushima Technology Centre (Japan), Panasonic (Japan)

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Minoru Kimura is a pioneering roboticist whose research bridges agricultural automation and disaster-response robotics. His most influential work centers on the development of "Robo-ducky," a bio-inspired weeding robot for rice fields that mimics the natural behavior of ducks. In his 2016 study, Kimura systematically improved the robot's mobility and quantified its weeding efficacy, achieving 11 citations for this foundational contribution to precision agriculture. Earlier in his career, Kimura made critical advances in sensor technology for disaster prevention. He developed a CO2 laser radar 3D vision sensor that maintains accurate range-finding through smoke, flames, and mist—conditions that render conventional sensors useless. This work, published in 1991 and 1992, demonstrated that CO2 lasers could penetrate disaster environments with minimal signal degradation, enabling robots to navigate and assess hazards when visibility is zero. Though his citation counts reflect a niche but dedicated research community, Kimura's dual contributions to sustainable farming and life-saving robotics showcase a career defined by practical, high-impact engineering solutions for real-world challenges.