Papers
15
Total Citations
1,149
H-Index
11
About
Koji Ikuta is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work spans medical robotics, human-robot interaction, and micro/nano-scale engineering. Over more than three decades, he has made transformative contributions to some of the most challenging frontiers in robotics, earning widespread recognition across both foundational and applied domains. Ikuta's early groundbreaking work on shape-memory alloy (SMA) actuators in the late 1980s helped establish a new class of compact, responsive robotic drives, laying essential groundwork for minimally invasive surgical tools. He went on to develop innovative systems for remote microsurgery and flexible endoluminal robots, including his notable "Hyper-finger" concept, pushing the boundaries of what surgical robotics can access in deep, confined anatomical spaces. His development of the world's smallest micro active catheter (approximately 300µm) using the MeME-X fabrication process represents a remarkable feat of precision engineering. Equally significant is Ikuta's pioneering work in robot safety evaluation — proposing the world's first general quantitative framework for assessing danger in human-care robots, a contribution that has shaped safety standards across the field (233 citations). His 2020 paper on robotics and COVID-19 has attracted 567 citations, reflecting his timely and influential perspective on robotics' role in public health. Across his career, Ikuta exemplifies the rare combination of visionary engineering and socially conscious research.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Safety Evaluation Method of Design and Control for Human-Care Robots233 citations · 2003
- 3Advancement of Flexible Robot Technologies for Endoluminal Surgeries84 citations · 2022
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- 6Hyper-finger for Remote Minimally Invasive Surgery in Deep Area36 citations · 2002
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