Hirotaka Hojoh

About

Hirotaka Hojoh is a robotics researcher whose work has focused on one of the most technically demanding challenges in industrial automation: enabling robots to handle flexible objects such as clothing and linens. His research addresses the urgent need to automate linen supply and laundry factories — environments characterized by extreme conditions including dust, heat, and steam that make manual labor both difficult and hazardous. Hojoh's most influential contribution, "Robot System for Cloth Handling" (2008), garnered 23 citations and laid the groundwork for integrating 3D vision systems with flexible robotic hands capable of grasping and manipulating deformable materials. Across a sustained body of work spanning 2008 to 2011, he systematically advanced this vision, developing multi-joint robotic platforms, force-sensor-based status estimation to prevent cloth tangling, and sophisticated mark recognition systems capable of identifying labels amid heavy textile noise. With over 55 cumulative citations, his research represents a pioneering effort to bring intelligent robotic automation to an industry long considered resistant to it, offering practical solutions that bridge computer vision, sensor integration, and mechanical design in real-world industrial settings.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Robot system for cloth handling

   23 citations · 2008
2. 2
   A study on handling system for cloth using 3-D vision sensor

   8 citations · 2008
3. 3
   Flexible handling robot system for cloth

   4 citations · 2009
4. 4
   Status estimation of cloth handling robot using force sensor

   4 citations · 2009
5. 5
   Recognition of marks in many texture noises on washing clothes

   3 citations · 2010
6. 6
   Design of cloth handling robot system

   3 citations · 2010
7. 7
   Cloth handling system for washing line

   3 citations · 2011
8. 8
   Cloth handling system for linen supply indust

   3 citations · 2011
9. 9
   Vision system for cloth handling robot

   2 citations · 2009
10. 10
    Towel mark recognition system for washing cloth handling system

    2 citations · 2011

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links