Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Shogo Nonaka’s research lies at the intersection of human-robot interaction, virtual reality, and control systems, with a focus on ensuring that robots can safely and comfortably coexist with humans. His pioneering work established an evaluation system using virtual reality to assess human psychological responses—particularly the sense of security—when interacting with humanoid robots and mobile manipulators. In his most-cited paper (82 citations), he demonstrated how the shape, size, and pick-and-place motions of humanoid robots influence human perceptions, laying groundwork for human-centered robot design. He further validated these findings by comparing human psychology toward real versus virtual robots (32 citations) and by evaluating impressions of the actual humanoid robot HRP-2 (10 citations). Beyond human factors, Nonaka also contributed to control theory, designing a quasi-continuous exponential stabilizing controller for nonholonomic mobile robots (5 citations). His interdisciplinary approach—bridging psychology, virtual reality, and nonlinear control—has shaped how researchers and engineers design robots that are not only functional but also socially acceptable. Nonaka’s work remains essential reading for anyone developing robots intended to work alongside people.