Masao Inoue

Mitsubishi Corporation (United States), Mitsubishi Electric (United States)

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About

Masao Inoue is a pioneering figure in space robotics, whose work laid the foundation for autonomous satellite servicing and orbital manipulation. His research centers on the control and simulation of free-flying space robots, addressing the unique challenges of zero-gravity environments—particularly the complex dynamics of a manipulator’s motion causing reaction forces on its floating base. Inoue’s most influential contribution is his 1991 paper on a "Simulation system for a space robot using six-axis servos" (29 citations), which introduced a groundbreaking approach to modeling 6-DOF target motion and reaction control. He further advanced the field with the development of a Berthing Dynamics Simulator (BDS), experimentally validating the feasibility of capturing free-flying targets. His work on visual feedback control for satellite grappling, detailed in a 1994 study, tackled the critical issue of sensor view changes caused by manipulator movement. Inoue also contributed to hardware development, creating a lightweight, space-durable 1-meter-class manipulator. With a career spanning from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, his research remains essential reading for engineers working on autonomous orbital robotics and on-orbit servicing systems.