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About

Ichiro Masamori’s research lies at the intersection of human motor control and robotic human-machine systems, focusing on how mechanical impedance and manipulability shape our interactions with interfaces like steering wheels and gear shifts. His most cited work, “Manipulability analysis of human arm movements during the operation of a variable-impedance controlled robot” (2005, 27 citations), introduced a virtual shift system using a variable-impedance robot to replicate diverse shift dynamics, enabling systematic study of arm movements in automotive contexts. Building on this, he developed a virtual steering system that accurately estimates human hand impedance properties under dual-arm configurations (2006, 9 citations), and proposed a novel evaluation method for lower-extremity movements by integrating human joint-torque characteristics into robotic manipulability metrics (2004, 8 citations). His virtual driving simulator (2006, 5 citations) further advanced the field by combining robotic devices to measure dynamic properties of arm movements during steering and transmission operations. Though his citation counts are modest, Masamori’s work provides foundational insights for designing more intuitive, human-centered robotic interfaces, making him a key figure in understanding how our bodies adapt to and control complex mechanical systems.