Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Minako Kurisu is a pioneering roboticist whose work bridges the fundamental mechanics of manipulation with life-saving applications in disaster response. Her research centers on three interconnected areas: robotic pushing and grasping mechanics, multi-robot cooperation, and rescue robotics. Kurisu’s most impactful contribution is the identification of the “center of friction” — a concept that enables mobile robots to predict and control an object’s motion when pushing it across a floor. This foundational work, published in 2002, remains her most cited paper with 47 citations. She extended this principle to multi-robot systems, developing optimal grasping positions and regrasping procedures for teams of robots cooperatively transporting large objects. In a notable shift toward humanitarian robotics, Kurisu contributed to Japan’s national rescue robot project by developing a laser range finder for 3D map-building in rubble — a critical tool for locating victims in collapsed structures. She also designed the first standard robotic dummy for evaluating rescue equipment and human-robot rescue skills, establishing benchmarks that continue to inform the field. Through these achievements, Kurisu has shaped both the theoretical foundations of robotic manipulation and the practical tools for saving lives in disasters.