Osaka University, Osaka
Japan
Research Areas
Robots
Biography
Tatsuo Arai was born in 1952 in Tokyo, Japan. He received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo in 1975, 1977, and 1986, respectively. In 1977 he joined the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, AIST of MITI (now METI) where he was involved in the research and development of arm design and control, mobile robots, teleoperation, and micro-robotics. During this time he stayed briefly at MIT as a visiting scientist from 1986-87. In 1997 he transferred to Osaka University as a full professor in the Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science. In the past he has served as Vice President of IAARC, Chair of the Robotics and Mechatronics Division of JSME, a Director of RSJ, and several other positions. His research interests focus on parallel mechanisms, legged working robots, micro-robotics for bio-applications, humanoid robots, and network robots.
Interview Synopsis
In this interview, Arai discusses his lengthy career in the field of robotics, focusing on his involvement and contributions at the Mechanical Engineering Lab and at Osaka University. Outlining various robotics projects, he comments on the challenges of the field and provides advice for young people interested in robotics as a career.
