Masao Obama

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Masao Obama is a pioneering figure in robotics, with a career spanning from industrial inspection to dexterous manipulation. His foundational work began with the "Multijoint Inspection Robot" (1983, 41 citations), a system designed to reduce downtime and radiation exposure for personnel in nuclear facilities—a critical contribution to remote inspection technology. Building on this, Obama advanced into humanoid robotics with his development of a "multi-fingered robot hand with fingertip tactile sensors" (2002, 15 citations). This four-fingered, 16-joint hand, actuated by DC motors via wires and mounted on a 6-degree-of-freedom arm, aimed to replicate human dexterity and identify key technologies for prosthetic and service robots. Though his citation counts reflect a focused, specialized impact, Obama’s work bridges the gap between heavy industrial safety and delicate manipulation, influencing both nuclear maintenance and assistive robotics. His research remains a touchstone for engineers seeking to integrate tactile sensing into robotic hands, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to practical, human-centered automation.