Papers
24
Total Citations
515
H-Index
8
About
Noriaki Mitsunaga is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), focusing on how robots can adapt their behavior to facilitate seamless, natural communication with people. His major contributions lie in developing adaptive mechanisms that allow robots to read subtle human cues—such as body signals, gaze, and personal space preferences—and adjust their actions accordingly. His 2008 paper on adapting robot behavior for HRI has garnered 163 citations, while his work on the Robovie-IV communication robot, which interacted daily with office workers, has been cited 106 times. Mitsunaga’s research demonstrates that robots can use reinforcement learning to modify interaction distances and walking speeds, as seen in his studies on speed adaptation for robot-human walking. He also explored social acceptance through a six-week office study, revealing key factors for integrating robots into human communities. Beyond HRI, Mitsunaga has contributed to visual attention control for mobile robots, using information criteria to guide decision-making. His work has profoundly influenced the design of socially aware robots, making him a key figure in advancing robots from mere tools to collaborative partners in daily life.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Adapting Robot Behavior for Human--Robot Interaction163 citations · 2008
- 2Robovie-IV: A Communication Robot Interacting with People Daily in an Office106 citations · 2006
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- 6Speed adaptation for a robot walking with a human30 citations · 2007
- 7Observation strategy for decision making based on information criterion14 citations · 2001
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