Sumito Nagasawa

The University of Tokyo, Shibaura Institute of Technology

Papers

6

Total Citations

171

H-Index

4

About

Sumito Nagasawa is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of biological systems and robotics, with a career built on the innovative application of living insect sensory organs to autonomous mobile systems. His most celebrated contribution — the development of a mobile robot equipped with actual silkworm moth antennae as pheromone sensors — demonstrated that biological olfactory systems could be successfully integrated into robotic platforms to replicate complex, instinct-driven navigational behavior. This landmark 1999 work garnered 133 citations and established Nagasawa as a leading figure in bio-hybrid robotics and chemical sensing. Building on this foundation, he developed the PheGMot-III, a miniaturized pheromone-tracing robot scaled to insect dimensions, and proposed methodological frameworks for evaluating insect sensorimotor models through physical robotic analogues — work that offered valuable tools for both roboticists and neuroscientists studying odor-source localization. His research into the neural basis of olfactory search behavior further bridged computational neuroscience and autonomous systems. More recently, Nagasawa has extended his expertise toward micro-hexapod locomotion and LiDAR-SLAM mapping, exploring applications in disaster response environments. His body of work reflects a consistent commitment to learning from nature to engineer more capable, adaptable robotic systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

4
H-Index
6
Papers
171
Total Citations
29
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Synthesis of the pheromone-oriented behaviour of silkworm moths by a mobile robot with moth antennae as pheromone sensors1This paper was presented at the Fifth World Congress on Biosensors, Berlin, Germany, 3–5 June 1998.1
133 citations · 1999
📈 Most Prolific Year: 1999 (2 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 5
🏛 Institutions: The University of Tokyo, Shibaura Institute of Technology

Top Papers

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    Synthesis of the pheromone-oriented behavior of silkworm moths by a mobile robot with moth antennae as pheromone sensors
    4 citations · 1999
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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
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