Masaru FUKUNAGA
Papers
1
Total Citations
22
H-Index
1
About
Masaru Fukunaga is a pioneering researcher in soft robotics and tactile sensing, best known for his groundbreaking work on viscoelastic robot skin. His most cited paper, "Soft viscoelastic robot skin capable of accurately sensing contact location of object" (2003, 22 citations), introduced a novel tactile sensor that leverages a gel-based soft surface to achieve precise contact localization through areal deformation—a significant departure from traditional point-contact sensors. This work laid the foundation for compliant, human-safe robotic interfaces, enabling robots to interact more naturally with their environment. Fukunaga’s contributions have been instrumental in advancing soft tactile sensing, with his research influencing subsequent developments in wearable haptics and medical robotics. His achievement of sub-millimeter contact accuracy using a viscoelastic medium was a notable milestone at the time, and his work continues to inspire innovations in biomimetic sensing and human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1