Hiromichi Nakashima
Papers
9
Total Citations
183
H-Index
6
About
Hiromichi Nakashima is a pioneering roboticist whose work directly addresses one of the most pressing challenges of aging societies: the physical burden of nursing care. His primary research areas include human-robot interaction, tactile sensing, and assistive robotics for healthcare. Nakashima’s most significant contribution is the development of the nursing-care assistant robot RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance), which can safely lift and transfer bedridden patients—a task that is both physically demanding for human caregivers and critical for patient mobility. His 2011 paper on RIBA’s realization and safety measures has garnered 58 citations, while a companion work on tactile-based motion adjustment has 52 citations. These robots, including the earlier RI-MAN, are notable for their soft, human-friendly design and ability to operate through whole-body contact, using advanced tactile sensors to adjust motions in real time. Nakashima has also explored scrub nurse robots for laparoscopic surgery and multi-modal perception systems combining vision and audition. His work stands at the intersection of engineering and compassionate care, demonstrating how robotics can enhance quality of life for both patients and caregivers.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Tactile-based motion adjustment for the nursing-care assistant robot RIBA52 citations · 2011
- 3A Soft Human-Interactive Robot RI-MAN37 citations · 2006
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- 6Scrub Nurse Robot for Laparoscopic Surgery6 citations · 2008
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