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About

Nana Sakakibara is a pioneering roboticist whose work centers on anthropomorphic talking robots, specifically the Waseda Talker series. Her research focuses on recreating the intricate biomechanics of human speech production, with key contributions in three-dimensional vocal tract modeling and biomimetic vocal cord design. She developed a groundbreaking three-dimensional tongue with a liquid sealing mechanism for the WT-7R robot, significantly improving vocal tract resonance and speech naturalness. Sakakibara also engineered a biomechanical vocal cord model using Septon rubber that faithfully reproduces modal voice vibrations, and she devised neural network-based control methods—employing forward and inverse models—to precisely regulate vocal cord tension, glottal opening, and air pressure for diverse voice production. While her citation counts (20, 3, and 2) reflect a specialized niche, her work represents foundational advances in humanoid speech synthesis, bridging mechanical engineering, materials science, and neural control. Her achievements have been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of how robots can mimic human vocal anatomy, offering insights for assistive technology and human-robot interaction.