Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Katsuki Koto is a robotics and manufacturing automation researcher whose work centers on the development of intelligent robotic polishing systems. His research addresses a pressing industrial challenge: replacing skilled manual polishing labor — which poses health risks and faces workforce shortages — with precise, automated alternatives capable of matching human craftsmanship in fine mold and mechanical part finishing. Koto's most significant contribution is his development of macro-micro mechanism-based polishing robots, a sophisticated architecture that enables highly responsive force control during automated polishing tasks. His most cited work (2022, 50 citations) introduced an active end-effector framework grounded in an extended formulation of Preston's law, providing a principled approach to controlling material removal rates in robotic polishing. Complementing this, his earlier studies explored gravity compensation strategies to enhance force control fidelity and pioneered sensorless force-control end-effectors, reducing system complexity while maintaining polishing accuracy. Together, these contributions form a coherent and progressive research program pushing robotic polishing from laboratory concept toward industrial deployment. Though still building his citation profile across his full body of work, his lead paper's strong uptake signals growing recognition within the robotics and precision manufacturing communities of his foundational contributions to automated surface finishing technology.