Papers
30
Total Citations
942
H-Index
15
About
Toshiro Higuchi is a remarkably versatile researcher whose work spans robotics, actuator engineering, and human-robot interaction — a breadth that makes him a distinctive voice across multiple scientific communities. His most celebrated contributions lie in electrostatic and piezoelectric actuation systems, where he has pioneered compact, high-performance mechanisms with real-world applications. His 2002 work on piezoelectric positioning mechanisms, exploiting friction and inertial forces for precise micro-scale movement, has become a foundational reference in microactuator design (109 citations), while his development of electrostatic artificial muscles introduced a compelling paradigm for lightweight, high-power linear actuation. Higuchi's research on electroadhesive climbing robots demonstrated how electrostatic forces could simultaneously enable locomotion and wall adhesion, inspiring a generation of soft and flexible robotic designs. Beyond machines, his forays into embodied cognition are striking — his 2014 study on apparition induction (148 citations) and work on voluntary self-touch and body ownership reveal a curiosity about the boundaries of human self-perception. This rare combination of precision engineering and neuroscience-informed robotics positions Higuchi as a uniquely interdisciplinary researcher whose influence continues to grow across fields.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Neurological and Robot-Controlled Induction of an Apparition148 citations · 2014
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- 4Voluntary self-touch increases body ownership80 citations · 2015
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- 6Electrostatic-motor-driven electroadhesive robot54 citations · 2012
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