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About

Masataku Sutoh is a leading researcher in planetary robotics, specializing in the mobility and autonomous control of rovers for lunar and planetary exploration. His work focuses on overcoming the critical challenge of traversing loose, powdery regolith—a terrain that often causes wheel slippage and mission failure. Sutoh’s major contributions include experimentally modeling the motion behavior of skid-steering rovers on loose soil, which led to a novel position estimation method that significantly improves localization accuracy. This foundational work, published in 2018, has garnered 22 citations and is widely referenced in the field. He also played a key role in the development of Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2), a transformable nano rover for JAXA’s SLIM mission, showcasing his expertise in autonomous control for real-world lunar operations. Additionally, Sutoh has investigated wheel surface shapes to enhance drawbar pull and traversability, and he has contributed to the design of mobility and excavation rovers for future lunar base construction. With a growing citation impact and direct involvement in active space missions, Sutoh’s research is shaping the next generation of resilient, autonomous planetary rovers.