Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Norikazu Ohta is pioneering fault-tolerant and scalable architectures for electronic skin (e-skin) and energy-efficient actuation for insect-scale robotics. His most cited work, "Self-rerouting sensor network for electronic skin resilient to severe damage" (2025, 13 citations), introduces a network design that enables e-skin to maintain functionality even after extensive physical damage—a critical requirement for robots operating in unpredictable environments. Complementing this, his "Neuro-Inspired Scalable Serial Sensor Network by Sequential Signal Propagation" (2023, 6 citations) addresses the wiring, readout, and power bottlenecks that have historically limited e-skin scaling. On the actuation front, Ohta’s "Power-Efficient Driver Circuit for Piezo Electric Actuator with Passive Charge Recovery" (2020, 12 citations) recovers energy typically lost to parasitic capacitance, dramatically improving the viability of piezoelectric actuators for tiny, agile robots. His latest work on fan-shaped electrostatic soft hydraulic actuators (2025) further expands the toolkit for soft robotics, achieving enhanced pressure and robustness. By tackling both sensing and actuation challenges, Ohta is laying the groundwork for resilient, lifelike robotic systems—from human-interactive machines to autonomous micro-robots.