Michiko Ohkura
Papers
9
Total Citations
87
H-Index
5
About
Michiko Ohkura is a researcher whose work sits at the fascinating intersection of affective computing, human-robot interaction, and cross-cultural design. Best known for her pioneering investigations into *kawaii* (cuteness) as a design principle for robots, Ohkura has systematically explored how aesthetic and emotional attributes shape people's perceptions of and preferences for robotic companions. Her most-cited work (2010, 38 citations) examines real-time emotion monitoring through physiological signals, aiming to help service robots recognize and respond to users' emotional states—a contribution with direct implications for emotionally intelligent home robotics. Her early engagement with Kansei Engineering, which frames design through human sensory and emotional responses, laid the theoretical groundwork for this trajectory. A distinctive hallmark of Ohkura's research is its cross-cultural dimension: she has led collaborative projects pairing Japanese and American university students to co-design and evaluate kawaii robots, yielding insights into how cuteness is perceived across cultural boundaries. Notably, she adapted these collaborations to fully remote formats during the COVID-19 pandemic without sacrificing methodological rigor. Across her body of work, Ohkura has shaped a niche but growing field that takes emotional resonance seriously as an engineering and design challenge.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 8Relationship Between Robot Designs and Preferences in Kawaii Attributes3 citations · 2021
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