Hisashi DATE

About

Hisashi Date is a robotics researcher whose work spans snake-like locomotion, mobile robotics, and robotic manipulation. He is perhaps best known for his pioneering contributions to snake robot control, having developed foundational methods for governing articulated, passive-wheeled robots that generate propulsion purely through body bending and joint actuation — a fundamentally distinct locomotion paradigm from conventional wheeled or legged systems. His 2007 paper on curvature-derivative-based adaptive locomotion (81 citations) demonstrated how snake robots could navigate rugged terrain by exploiting obstacles as natural supports, mirroring biological snake behavior. Earlier work on dynamic manipulability (66 citations) and constraint force attenuation (47 citations) established rigorous control frameworks still referenced in the field today. Date further extended this research into three-dimensional creeping locomotion and even fluid-driven, electricity-free snake mechanisms, showcasing remarkable creative range. Beyond snake robotics, he has contributed to wheeled stair-climbing robots, high-precision LIDAR-based mobile robot localization, autonomous urban navigation through the Tsukuba Challenge, and most recently, robotic automation of garment sewing — demonstrating a career-long commitment to solving complex real-world manipulation and mobility challenges across diverse application domains.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Adaptive locomotion of a snake like robot based on curvature derivatives

   81 citations · 2007
2. 2
   Locomotion control of a snake-like robot based on dynamic manipulability

   66 citations · 2002
3. 3
   Locomotion control of a snake robot with constraint force attenuation

   47 citations · 2001
4. 4
   Control of 3D Snake-Like Locomotive Mechanism Based on Continuum Modeling

   43 citations · 2005
5. 5
   Development of a wheeled mobile robot "octal wheel" realized climbing up and down stairs

   29 citations · 2005
6. 6
   Control of a snake robot in consideration of constraint force

   18 citations · 2002
7. 7
   Development of Fabric Feed Mechanism Using Horizontal Articulated Dual Manipulator for Automated Sewing

   17 citations · 2021
8. 8
   High Precision Localization of Mobile Robot Using LIDAR Intensity of Surface

   15 citations · 2013
9. 9
   Tsukuba Challenge 2019: Task Settings and Experimental Results

   13 citations · 2020
10. 10
    An electricity-free snake-like propulsion mechanism driven and controlled by fluids

    12 citations · 2009

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links