Tomoyuki Sakuma

Tokyo Denki University, Tokyo Future University

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Tomoyuki Sakuma is a robotics researcher whose work focuses on the challenging intersection of robotic manipulation and the replication of highly skilled human motor skills. His primary research area is the realization of complex, dynamic dexterous manipulation, specifically using robotic arms to perform tasks that require precise timing and coordination, such as playing a yoyo. Sakuma’s major contribution lies in his pioneering approach to translating human motion analysis into robotic control algorithms. In his most cited work, "Realization of yoyo operation called long-sleeper by robot arms" (2011, 5 citations), he successfully programmed a robot arm to execute the fundamental "long-sleeper" yoyo trick—a sequential motion of throwing, idling, and pulling back. He further advanced this in "Realization of robotic yoyo operation based on analysis of human motion" (2012, 3 citations), where he realized the "gravity-pull" operation by studying human arm actions. While his citation counts are modest, his work is notable for tackling a non-trivial problem in dynamic manipulation, demonstrating that robots can master tasks requiring the nuanced control of momentum and timing, a significant step toward more versatile and human-like robotic systems.