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About

Yoshikazu Mori is a robotics researcher whose work spans mobile robot systems, humanitarian technology, biomechanical robotics, and human-robot interaction. His foundational contributions center on omnidirectional vehicle design, most notably the ODV9 platform — a nonholonomic quasi-omnidirectional vehicle engineered for navigating constrained indoor environments — which has garnered nearly 20 citations and influenced subsequent mobile robot design. Mori's reconfigurable footprint omnidirectional vehicle further demonstrated his ingenuity in adaptive wheeled locomotion. Beyond mobility systems, Mori has tackled life-saving applications, including a notable feasibility study on excavation-type demining robots. His research evolved meaningfully toward biologically inspired robotics, evidenced by his muscle-driven hind leg robot modeled on feline locomotion, which autonomously adapts speed using central pattern generators without centralized brain intervention. Mori has also made thoughtful contributions to social robotics, investigating emotional learning in partner robots, the therapeutic potential of robotic hug dolls, and the development of "TechTech," a portable companion robot designed to motivate elderly individuals to walk — addressing Japan's aging population challenges directly. Collectively, his body of work reflects a researcher driven by both engineering rigor and genuine concern for human wellbeing, bridging mechanical innovation with meaningful societal application.