Hidemitsu Furukawa

About

Hidemitsu Furukawa is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of advanced materials science and soft robotics, with a particular focus on 4D printing, shape-memory hydrogels, and bioinspired robotic systems. His work has fundamentally advanced the field of stimuli-responsive materials, demonstrating how 3D-printed structures can dynamically transform across dimensions in response to environmental triggers — the defining principle of 4D printing. Furukawa's most influential contribution, a 2021 comprehensive review of 4D printing fundamentals and applications, has garnered over 334 citations, establishing him as a leading authority in the field. His development of shape-memory hydrogel bilayer systems for soft-robotic actuators (195 citations) has opened new pathways for programmable, biomimetic devices. Further expanding this work, he has explored tunable mechanical properties in 3D-printed hydrogels, jellyfish-inspired aquatic soft robots, and friction-controlled inchworm locomotion using double-network gels. Beyond materials, Furukawa bridges laboratory innovation and real-world application, evidenced by his work on bellows-actuated robotic hands for dishwashing automation. Collectively accumulating nearly 1,000 citations, his research continues to shape the future of intelligent soft matter systems and next-generation robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   4D printing: Fundamentals, materials, applications and challenges

   334 citations · 2021
2. 2
   4D Printing of Shape‐Memory Hydrogels for Soft‐Robotic Functions

   195 citations · 2019
3. 3
   3D printing of shape memory hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties

   74 citations · 2018
4. 4
   Review—Recent Progresses in 4D Printing of Gel Materials

   73 citations · 2020
5. 5
   Fully 3D-Printed Hydrogel Actuator for Jellyfish Soft Robots

   62 citations · 2021
6. 6
   A Soft Robotic Hand Based on Bellows Actuators for Dishwashing Automation

   39 citations · 2021
7. 7
   3D printing of electrically conductive hybrid organic–inorganic composite materials

   24 citations · 2018
8. 8
   4D Printing of Hydrogels Controlled by Hinge Structure and Spatially Gradient Swelling for Soft Robots

   22 citations · 2023
9. 9
   MORI-A: Soft Vacuum-Actuated Module With 3D-Printable Deformation Structure

   17 citations · 2022
10. 10
    Development of soft inchworm robot with friction control of feet using double-network gel

    17 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links