Kazuhito Tanaka

The University of Tokyo, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), Toyota Motor Corporation (Switzerland)

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Kazuhito Tanaka is a leading researcher in robotics, specializing in high-speed bipedal locomotion and autonomous navigation in crowded environments. His most impactful work centers on achieving dynamic, agile running in humanoid robots through the integration of high-speed visual feedback. In his seminal 2014 paper, "High-speed bipedal robot running using high-speed visual feedback" (23 citations), Tanaka introduced a novel control strategy that leverages lightweight, high-torque actuators and rapid vision processing to enable stable, high-speed running—a major leap in bipedal robotics. This work culminated in the development of the ACHIRES robot system (2015), a platform designed to push the boundaries of robotic speed and responsiveness. More recently, Tanaka has tackled the complex challenge of robot navigation in densely crowded spaces. His 2021 paper (19 citations) proposes a predictive model that accounts for human-robot interaction, moving beyond simple collision avoidance to anticipate and adapt to human movements. This work is critical for deploying service robots in real-world public spaces. With a growing citation impact, Tanaka’s contributions are shaping the future of agile, socially-aware robotics.