Chikara Nagai
Papers
9
Total Citations
135
H-Index
5
About
Chikara Nagai is a robotics researcher whose work spans three interconnected domains: robot-assisted therapy for autism spectrum disorder, vision-based tactile sensing, and upper limb rehabilitation robotics. He is perhaps best known for his pioneering investigations into how robot design features influence therapeutic outcomes for autistic children, most notably his 2012 study — garnering 72 citations — which identified specific robot characteristics that meaningfully enhance engagement and social interaction during therapy sessions. Building on this foundation, Nagai developed therapeutic robots incorporating interpersonal touch and multimodal feedback mechanisms, including color and tactile stimuli, to further improve communication effectiveness in autism therapy contexts. In parallel, Nagai made notable contributions to robotic perception through his development of vision-based fluid-type tactile sensors capable of estimating contact states and object shapes, enabling more dexterous manipulation in robotic hands. His rehabilitation research explored bilateral movement training for post-stroke recovery, examining how proprioception and handedness influence motor learning and transfer between limbs. Across these diverse yet complementary research threads, Nagai demonstrates a consistent commitment to designing intelligent, human-centered robotic systems that meaningfully improve quality of life — whether for children navigating autism therapy or patients recovering motor function after neurological injury.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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