ATSUO TAKANISHI is a Professor of the Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University and a concurrent Professor and one of the core members of the HRI (Humanoid Robotics Institute), Waseda University. He received the B.S.E. degree in 1980, the M.S.E. degree in 1982 and the Ph.D. degree in 1988, all in Mechanical Engineering from Waseda University

His current researches are related to Humanoid Robots and its applications in medicine and well-being, such as the biped walking robots for modelling human biped walking as bipedal humanoid robots WABIAN(WAseda BIpedal humANoid) series, the biped locomotors for carrying handicapped or elderlies as WL(Waseda Leg) series, the mastication robots WJ(Waseda Jaw) series to mechanically simulate human mastication for clarifying the hypotheses in dentistry, the jaw opening-closing trainer robots WY(Waseda Yamanashi) series for patients having difficulties in jaw opening and/or closing, the flute playing robots WF(Waseda Flutist) series and the saxophone playing robots WS(Waseda Saxophonist) series to quantitatively analyze human flute/saxophone playing by collaborating with a professional flutists/saxophonists, the anthropomorphic talking robots WT(Waseda Talker) series which mechanically speak Japanese vowels and consonant sounds, and the other robots/systems related to his research area. His interest in humanoid robots has extended to the emotion of human that he started to develop the emotion expression humanoid robots WE(Waseda Eye) series and KOBIAN which emotionally behaves like a human based upon the gEquations of Emotion.h Especially, his humanoid robot WABIAN-2R was exhibited in the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan to demonstrate the knee extended walking using the human-like pelvis and seven DOF leg mechanisms. The emotion expression humanoid KOBIAN is developed based on WABIAN-2R. The latest model WL-16 can carry humans and virtually any heavy load weighing up to 80[kg]. This project is aiming at developing a practical mobile robot which can support the society of Japan who is rapidly becoming an aging society. He recently developed suture/ligature evaluation system which shows surgeon trainees the quantitative scores of their suture/ligature skills. This system is now commercially available from a medical model and training simulator company, Kyoto Kagaku Co. Ltd., in Japan. He is also developing the airway management robot for anaesthetist/paramedic trainees collaborating with the company. Refer to www.takanishi.mech.waseda.ac.jp for more details.

He is a member of Robotics Society of Japan (a board member in 1992 and 1993), Japanese Society of Biomechanisms, Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers, Japanese Society of Instrument and Control Engineers and Society of Mastication Systems (a major board member from 1996 to current), IEEE and other medicine and dentistry related societies in Japan.

He received the Best Paper Award from Robotic Society Japan(RSJ) two times in 1998 and in 2005, the Finalist of Best Paper Award two times in the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in 1999 and in 2006, the Best of Asia Award from BusinessWeek Magazine in 2001, the Distinguished Research Activity Award in Robotics and Mechatronics from Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers(JSME) in 2003, the Best Paper Award - Application in International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in 2004 from IEEE and RSJ, the Excellent Research Award in 2005 from the Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, the Industrial Application Division Promotion Award in 2005 from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers, the Best Paper Award in 2006 from JSME, etc.

Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering & Humanoid Robitics Institute, Waseda University

Atsuo Takanishi
Atsuo Takanishi