Keigo Hiki

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Keigo Hiki is a pioneering roboticist whose work explores the unconventional intersection of human-robot interaction and biomimetic design. His primary research focuses on developing novel robotic systems that replicate specific biological functions to foster unique forms of social bonding. Hiki’s most notable contribution is the creation of "Licker," a flexible tongue robot designed to realistically mimic human tongue motions. By analyzing and distilling human tongue movement into four basic motions, Hiki engineered a device capable of licking, with the ambitious goal of growing social bonds across species. While his citation count is modest, the conceptual boldness of Licker has captured significant attention for its provocative approach to emotional connection through robotics. This work challenges conventional notions of social robotics, proposing that even intimate, non-verbal gestures like licking can be a medium for communication and bonding. Hiki’s research pushes the boundaries of what robots can express, making him a distinctive voice in the field of affective and social robotics.