Tanaka Yoshihiro

Professor Yoshihiro Tanaka is a faculty member at Nagoya Institute of Technology in the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Major, and Mechanical Engineering Program. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from Tohoku University, where he also completed his undergraduate studies advancing a year through the Faculty of Engineering (1998-2001). His academic career includes positions at Daido University (2012), Fujita Health University (2011-2012), and Utrecht University as a Visiting Assistant Professor (2011). He was also a Specially Appointed Associate Member of the Science Council of Japan (2010-2014) and a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research Fellow (2005-2006).

Professor Tanaka's research focuses on the intersection of haptics, robotics, and human perception. His work explores tactile perception mechanisms, wearable haptic interfaces, and body integration systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding how humans perceive touch, pressure, and vibration, and how this knowledge can be applied to create advanced haptic technologies. His research program examines vibrotactile stimulation, force feedback, skin deformation, and collaborative robotic systems where multiple people can share control through body integration.

His recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate leadership in tactile perception, wearable devices like the Tactile Clip for inducing softness illusions, multimodal remote watching systems using avatar robots, and collaborative robotics. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers like Hikari Yukawa and Kouta Minamizawa, and spans applications from surgical robotics to automotive interface design.

Scientific Recognition

• Japan Society of Mechanical Engineering Robotics and Mechatronics Division Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award (2024)
• Nagoya Institute of Technology Faculty Evaluation Special Excellence Award (2024)
• Nagoya Institute of Technology Faculty Evaluation Excellence Award (2023)
• SI2022 Excellent Presentation Award (2022)
• MIPE Award 2022 (2022)

Professor Tanaka maintains active professional service as evidenced by his committee roles including Deputy Committee Chair for the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineering's IIP Division Editorial Committee and program committee memberships for multiple robotics conferences. His professional affiliations include the Global Young Academy, Science Council of Japan, IEEE, Society of Instrument and Control Engineers, and The Robotics Society of Japan. His research has resulted in numerous industrial property rights related to tactile evaluation methods, skin vibration analysis systems, and wearable hardness meters, demonstrating strong industry impact.