Masashi Kasaki
Papers
1
Total Citations
6
H-Index
1
About
Masashi Kasaki is a cognitive neuroscientist whose research lies at the intersection of social cognition, human-robot interaction, and the neural underpinnings of perceptual discomfort. His most cited work, "Subthalamic nucleus detects unnatural android movement" (2017, 6 citations), investigates the neural basis of the uncanny valley—the eerie sensation evoked by humanoid robots that appear nearly, but not perfectly, human. Kasaki’s key contribution is identifying the subthalamic nucleus as a critical brain region that detects unnatural movement in androids, linking basal ganglia function to social perception and motor prediction. This finding has implications for robotics, psychiatry, and our understanding of how the brain processes human-likeness. Though his citation count is modest, his work is pioneering in bridging neuroscience and robotics, offering a neural mechanism for a phenomenon long studied in psychology and design. Kasaki’s research challenges us to consider how the brain distinguishes real from artificial agents, a question increasingly urgent as humanoid robots become more prevalent. His studies are essential reading for students and researchers exploring the cognitive and neural responses to social robots.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Subthalamic nucleus detects unnatural android movement6 citations · 2017