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About

Tomoaki Tsuji is a leading researcher in soft robotics, specializing in the durability and performance of pneumatic artificial muscles and rubber-based actuators. His major contributions center on extending the fatigue life of soft robotic components through the innovative use of strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber. In his highly cited 2022 work, "Prolonging rubber fatigue life using hysteresis of strain-induced crystallization of natural rubber" (16 citations), Tsuji proposed a novel method that leverages the material's own crystallization to dramatically enhance longevity under large deformations—a critical challenge for soft robots. His 2019 study on "Straight-Fiber-Type Artificial Muscle Deformation Under Pressurization" (16 citations) advanced the design of lightweight, flexible pneumatic actuators for human-cooperative robots. Tsuji also developed the straight-fiber-reinforced pneumatic rubber artificial muscle (SF-ARM), which integrates fiber reinforcement to improve performance. His work on a braid-mechanism-based flexible propulsion unit for lunar exploration robots demonstrates the application of his research to extreme environments. With a growing citation impact, Tsuji’s research is pivotal for creating durable, reliable soft robots for wearable assistive devices and space exploration.