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Tsutomu Wada is a pioneering figure in the control of underactuated and pneumatically driven robotic systems. His research bridges the gap between theoretical nonlinear control and practical, compliant actuation. Wada is best known for his work on the swing-up control of the Acrobot, a two-link underactuated robot modeled after a gymnast on a horizontal bar. His 2004 paper on this topic (13 citations) proposed a nonlinear control scheme that accounts for limited joint angles, a critical step toward making such robots perform dynamic, human-like maneuvers. Earlier, Wada made foundational contributions to pneumatic robotics, addressing the high nonlinearities and compliance inherent in air-driven systems. His 1989 paper on adaptive variable structure control (12 citations) and his 1991 work on artificial rubber muscle actuators (11 citations) established methods for achieving precise servo control in soft, flexible robots. By developing sliding mode control techniques for compliance and force control, Wada enabled pneumatic robots to perform constrained tasks like deburring and assisting disabled persons. His work remains influential in the fields of nonlinear control, soft robotics, and rehabilitation engineering, demonstrating how clever control strategies can unlock the potential of unconventional actuators.