Yasuyuki Kono

Nara Institute of Science and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Yasuyuki Kono is a leading researcher in mobile robotics and human-robot interaction, with a focus on intuitive navigation systems that bridge the gap between human spatial reasoning and machine perception. His most influential work, "Robot navigation in corridor environments using a sketch floor map" (2004, 32 citations), pioneered a novel approach enabling robots to interpret and navigate using hand-drawn, metric-imprecise sketch maps—similar to building floor plans—allowing users to guide robots without requiring accurate, detailed environmental models. This contribution significantly advanced user-friendly robotic interfaces, reducing the technical burden on operators. Kono further developed this concept in "Topological Map Generation from Simplified Map for Mobile Robot Navigation" (2002, 8 citations), which introduced methods for automatically generating topological maps from simplified, user-provided inputs. His research has been instrumental in making robot navigation more accessible for real-world environments like corridors and public buildings, with applications in service robotics and assistive technology. Kono’s work continues to influence the design of human-centered robotic systems that prioritize intuitive communication over complex sensor data.