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About

Yuki Torii is a leading roboticist specializing in the design and control of high-performance, torque-controlled hydraulic robots. His primary research areas include humanoid and quadruped locomotion, hydraulic actuation, and compliant balance control. Torii’s most significant contribution is the development of TaeMu, a fast, torque-controlled hydraulic humanoid robot capable of dynamic and compliant balancing. His seminal 2016 paper on TaeMu’s design and experimental evaluation has garnered 117 citations, establishing it as a foundational reference in the field. This work demonstrated how hydraulic servocylinders could achieve rapid, force-controlled movements in a 1.4-meter-tall humanoid with 15 active joints. Earlier, Torii contributed to the development of the RL-A1, a 60 kg hydraulic quadruped, showcasing his versatility across legged platforms. His research has advanced the practical application of force-controlled hydraulics, enabling robots to balance compliantly and perform dynamic motions previously unattainable with traditional actuation. Torii’s work continues to influence the next generation of agile, torque-controlled robots.