Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Satoru Shibata is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, focusing on the psychological and emotional dimensions of robot motion to foster natural, human-friendly collaboration. His work centers on designing robots that move in ways humans perceive as comfortable, safe, and emotionally acceptable—critical for applications in social welfare, healthcare, and service for aging populations. Shibata’s major contributions include developing a handshake robot system based on an approaching motion model, enabling embodied physical interaction that enhances communication and closeness. He also created a planar robot system for handing over objects that adapts to individual user preferences, and explored how velocity patterns in arm movements influence perceptions of “human-likeness.” His research, spanning over two decades, has garnered significant attention, with his most-cited paper, “Psychological evaluations of robot motions” (1998), accumulating 42 citations, and his handshake robot studies (2006, 2008) each receiving 18 citations. Shibata’s work has advanced the understanding of psychological safety and emotional acceptance in robotics, notably through the use of rating scale and semantic differential methods to quantify human impressions. His recent development of a user-following mobile robot with stand-up assistance (2022) continues this legacy, addressing practical needs for mobility support. Shibata’s research remains foundational for engineers designing robots that coexist harmoniously with humans.