Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Toru Kuga’s research career is defined by a relentless drive to make robots more practical, efficient, and safe for real-world applications. His work spans two core areas: the mechanical design of specialized robots and the development of intelligent control systems. A key contribution is his pioneering work on lightweight, reduced-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robots, most notably a wall-climbing quadruped. By minimizing actuators without sacrificing essential function, Kuga demonstrated how to achieve critical capabilities like deformation compensation and continuous force control for vertical surfaces—a breakthrough for inspection and maintenance tasks. This foundational work, cited over a dozen times, showcases his talent for elegant mechanical minimalism. Kuga’s impact extends to industrial automation, where he developed a dual-arm robot with multi-fingered hands capable of delicate object manipulation, and a cooperative force control system for assembling LCD TVs, directly addressing labor shortages. His recent work on SafeML, a framework for unified risk assessment in diverse service robots, highlights a forward-looking commitment to safety and stakeholder communication. With a career that bridges fundamental robot design and pressing industrial needs, Kuga stands as a key figure in creating robots that are both capable and safe enough to work alongside humans.