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About

Naoki Kawakami is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of telexistence, haptic sensing, and human-robot interaction. His research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of how humans can remotely inhabit robotic surrogates, feeling present in distant environments through sophisticated sensory feedback systems. Kawakami's most influential contributions center on vision-based haptic sensing, most notably the GelForce technology adapted into a finger-shaped sensor capable of measuring three-dimensional surface traction fields — work that has garnered 174 citations and represents a landmark achievement in robotic dexterity. Alongside this, he has made substantial strides in telexistence systems, developing multi-fingered master hands with innovative "circuitous joints," anthropomorphic master-slave arms, and the imaginative TELEsarPHONE system, which enables face-to-face communication through robotic proxies using retroreflective projection technology. His research portfolio also encompasses whole-body sensitive robot arms with joint torque sensing for safe human-robot physical interaction, and advanced visual systems giving operators richer, more naturalistic remote perspectives. Collectively, Kawakami's body of work — accumulating hundreds of citations across robotics, teleoperation, and sensory systems — has helped lay the theoretical and engineering foundations for next-generation telepresence and dexterous robotic manipulation, making him a significant figure for any researcher entering these fields.