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About

Yoshiki Nakamura is a researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on how robot behavior influences human psychology and social dynamics. His key research areas include the design of robot exterior aesthetics, non-verbal communication cues such as gaze and listening attitudes, and their impact on user comfort and self-disclosure, particularly among elderly populations. Nakamura’s most cited work, “Effect of Robot’s Listening Attitude Change on Self-disclosure of the Elderly” (2022, 12 citations), demonstrates that robots can be designed to encourage older adults to share life experiences—a behavior linked to psychological well-being. He also contributed to robot design methodology with “Design of humanoid with insert-molded cover towards the variety of exterior design of robots” (2005, 6 citations), which addresses the challenge of integrating aesthetic and mechanical design for personal robots. His study on idle gaze direction (2020, 3 citations) explores how subtle robot behaviors affect user comfort. With additional work on robotic jaw movement simulation, Nakamura’s research bridges engineering and social science, advancing the development of socially assistive robots that are both functional and psychologically attuned to human needs.