Yoshihiro Tanaka
Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
Inamori Research Institute for Science, Kyoto, Japan
Presentation Title: Unlocking Human Potential through Haptic Sharing
Abstract: Touch is more than a sense—it is a bridge between our body and the physical world, shaped by their mechanical interaction. It reflects not only the properties of external objects but also the unique characteristics of our own body. Recent advances in technologies for measuring, presenting, and transmitting haptic information, together with developments in robotics, have made it possible to share tactile and haptic sensations with others, expanding the potential of human capabilities. Beyond object identification, touch plays a crucial role in sensorimotor control. Haptic feedback can enhance perception and improve operability, while haptic sharing can physically connect humans and robots, enabling new forms of embodied collaboration that transcend physical boundaries. In this talk, I will first present findings on individual differences in haptic perception. I will then introduce technologies that directly share tactile sensations, as well as a "body integration" system in which multiple people operate a single robotic avatar, and demonstrate examples of their real-world use. Finally, I will explore future possibilities and the new bodily experiences that haptic sharing can make possible.
Biography: Yoshihiro Tanaka skipped from the undergraduate program to the Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University in 2001 and received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the same university in 2006. In 2005, he was a Research Fellow with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He then joined the Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITech), Japan, as a Research Associate in 2006. He was a Visiting Researcher at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, in 2011, and a PRESTO Researcher with the Japan Science and Technology Agency from 2014 to 2018. Since 2021, he has been a Professor with the Graduate School of Engineering at NITech, where he directs the NITech Haptics Lab. His lab conducts research and development on tactile design in products based on perceptual mechanisms, sensorimotor assistance technologies, and cooperation and communication systems utilizing shared haptic perception. He also serves as a Special Advisor to the NITech President, an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Haptics, a Senior Editor of Advanced Robotics, and a Fellow of the Inamori Research Institute for Science.