Papers
8
Total Citations
66
H-Index
4
About
Tomoaki Yano is a pioneering researcher in robotics and precision engineering, whose career has been defined by sustained innovation in spherical motor technology and advanced measurement systems. His most celebrated contribution is the development of multi-axis spherical stepping motors, including the landmark 14–12 spherical stepping motor capable of rotating around six axes, which has garnered 32 citations and established him as a leading authority in the field. Yano's work addresses a critical challenge in robotics: enabling compact, multi-degree-of-freedom actuation suitable for robot joints, holonomic mobile platforms, and even space applications such as reaction wheels for spacecraft attitude control. His early research on scanning-type suction cups for wall-climbing robots demonstrated a broad interest in applied mechatronics, while his development of a two-axis spherical motor laser tracker achieving submicron measurement accuracy — cited 13 times — reflects his contributions to high-precision 3D metrology. Across his career, Yano has progressively refined spherical motor architectures based on geometric solids, including hexahedron-octahedron structures, and advanced rotor posture sensing through Hall sensor arrays. His body of work represents a coherent, decades-long effort to bring spherical motors from theoretical novelty to practical engineering reality.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Development of a spherical stepping motor rotating around six axes32 citations · 2012
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- 3Fundamental study of a scanning-type suction cup4 citations · 1990
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- 5117 Basic Characteristics of the Small Spherical Stepping Motor4 citations · 2001
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