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About

Hitoshi Kanamori is a human-computer interaction researcher whose work centers on intelligent agent systems, social robotics, and assistive technology for elderly drivers. His research addresses a pressing social challenge in Japan's aging society: the rising rate of traffic accidents among older drivers who nonetheless depend on automobiles for daily mobility. Kanamori's most significant contribution is the development of the Driver Support Agent (DSA), a system designed to encourage safe driving behavior among elderly users. His foundational 2017 paper, now with 33 citations, introduced the agent framework, while subsequent studies systematically refined its design — examining how an agent's physical form influences user acceptability (20 citations), how social distance expressed through utterance strategies shapes psychological reception (11 citations), and how the system performs in real vehicle environments (10 citations). Beyond driver assistance, Kanamori has explored how robot naming affects user attachment and support acceptability, and has pioneered mixed reality interfaces that encourage post-drive behavioral reflection at home. His integration of social robotics principles — including agent embodiment, natural language interaction, and emotional rapport — into practical safety applications represents a meaningful bridge between academic HRI research and real-world transportation challenges facing aging populations worldwide.