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About

Masahiro Yokomichi is a robotics researcher whose work focuses on the locomotion and obstacle avoidance of snake robots. His primary contributions lie in developing control strategies that enable these limbless, non-holonomic robots to navigate constrained environments. Yokomichi’s research addresses the challenge of allowing a snake robot—composed of rigid links, active joints, and passive wheels—to undulate through narrow hallways while avoiding obstacles and walls. His key innovations include methods for tuning the robot’s gliding form to an appropriate shape, switching control constraints to avoid collisions, and tracking a desired gliding curve to ensure safe passage. Although his most-cited papers, such as "Obstacle avoidance of a snake robot in narrow hallway" (5 citations), have modest citation counts, they represent foundational work in the niche field of snake robot navigation. Additionally, Yokomichi has explored multimodal tracking techniques, as seen in his work on "Multimodal MSEPF for visual tracking," demonstrating a broader interest in sensor-based control. His research is particularly valuable for students and engineers interested in bio-inspired robotics, non-holonomic systems, and real-time obstacle avoidance in confined spaces.