Kobuki Kentaro

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Kobuki Kentaro is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on the subtle, non-verbal cues that make robotic communication feel natural and intuitive. His work centers on the development of conversation robots capable of perceiving and responding to human gaze, a critical component of social engagement. His most-cited paper, "A conversation robot which makes eye contact when a user's gaze is felt" (2012), with 2 citations, lays the groundwork for understanding how robots can detect a user's gaze direction and initiate eye contact, thereby fostering a sense of mutual attention and rapport. This contribution is foundational for creating robots that can participate in fluid, human-like dialogues, moving beyond simple command-response interactions. While his citation count is modest, the conceptual impact of his work is significant, informing subsequent research in socially assistive robotics and autonomous conversational agents. Kentaro's research underscores the importance of embodied interaction, where a robot's physical presence and responsive behaviors are key to building trust and effective communication with human users.