Papers
8
Total Citations
50
H-Index
4
About
Yasunobu Hitaka’s research career is defined by a singular, inventive focus: using flexible-link robots to deliver precise, controlled impacts. His most influential work, “Hitting from any direction in 3-D space by a robot with a flexible link hammer” (21 citations), established the foundational dynamics for a hammering robot that can strike objects flatwise from arbitrary angles, accounting for gravity. This core idea evolved into applications like a home robot that taps human shoulders, demonstrating a gentle yet accurate physical interaction. Hitaka’s contributions extend beyond impact control; he has developed sophisticated methods for vibration suppression in articulated robots and pioneered obstacle avoidance strategies for snake robots navigating narrow hallways. His snake robot research, including a 2012 paper on switching control constraints, shows a parallel interest in non-holonomic, undulating locomotion. While his citation counts are modest, they reflect a sustained, niche exploration of flexible-link dynamics, impact control, and bio-inspired robotics. Hitaka’s work is notable for its creativity—turning a flexible hammer into a tool for high-resolution positioning and human-robot interaction—and for bridging theoretical dynamics with practical, real-world applications.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Control of Impact for a Hammering Robot Using a Flexible Link6 citations · 1993
- 3Obstacle avoidance of a snake robot in narrow hallway5 citations · 2012
- 4
- 5
- 6Obstacle avoidance of snake robot by switching control constraint4 citations · 2012
- 7
- 8