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About

Noboru Kawaguchi is a leading engineer in the design and construction of next-generation astronomical observatories, with his primary research focus on the structural and robotic systems of extremely large telescopes. His most significant contributions center on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), where he has been instrumental in advancing the telescope’s physical infrastructure. Kawaguchi led the preliminary design of the TMT’s Telescope Structure System (STR), a critical undertaking that involved overseeing the transition of design responsibilities to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. This foundational work, detailed in his 2014 overview paper (13 citations), established the core mechanical framework for the observatory. Beyond static structures, Kawaguchi has pioneered force control technology for the TMT’s Segment Handling System (SHS). His 2016 paper (6 citations) describes a novel robot designed to safely and reliably exchange the telescope’s 492 mirror segments, a key operational requirement for maintaining the primary mirror’s precise alignment. This work demonstrates his unique ability to solve complex, real-world engineering challenges for large-scale scientific instruments. Through these contributions, Kawaguchi is helping to turn the ambitious vision of the TMT into a tangible, operational reality.