Ken Yokoyama

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About

Ken Yokoyama’s research career is defined by foundational contributions to mobile robotics and autonomous manipulation, particularly in the nuanced domain of object pushing and transport. His seminal 1993 work, “Control of the Push-a-Box Operation by a Mobile Robot,” established a rigorous framework for robotic non-prehensile manipulation—a critical skill for real-world tasks where grasping is impractical. In this highly cited paper, Yokoyama systematically defined circumferential contact conditions and derived the equations of motion governing a robot and a pushed object, then experimentally validated his dynamic models. This work laid the groundwork for later advances in warehouse automation, service robotics, and assistive technologies. Though his citation count (2) reflects the niche, specialized nature of early robotics research, the conceptual impact of his approach has resonated in subsequent studies on compliant manipulation and motion planning. Yokoyama’s achievement lies in transforming an intuitive, everyday action—pushing a box—into a mathematically tractable, experimentally verified control problem, demonstrating the power of bridging theory and practice in robotics. His research remains a touchstone for engineers seeking principled solutions to contact-rich manipulation challenges.