Kouji Takano

National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities

Papers

Total Citations

138

H-Index

About

Kouji Takano is a leading researcher at the intersection of brain-machine interfaces (BMI), cognitive neuroscience, and human-robot interaction. His work fundamentally explores how humans can intuitively control and experience robotic systems as extensions of their own bodies. Takano’s most impactful contribution is the development of a BMI-based occupational therapy assist suit, which uses steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) for asynchronous control—a breakthrough that allows users to command robotic limbs through natural brain signals without continuous input. This work, cited over 60 times, has direct applications in assistive technology for individuals with motor impairments. In a landmark 2009 study, he demonstrated an augmented reality-BMI system that let users see through a robot’s eyes, merging visual feedback with neural control. More recently, his 2018 investigation into body ownership and agency revealed how electromyographically controlled robotic arms can alter fundamental self-perception, showing that users can feel a robotic limb as their own. With over 130 citations across his key works, Takano’s research bridges engineering and cognitive science, offering profound insights into how technology can reshape human embodiment and autonomy.