Robotics
Integrates sensing, control and actuation
Gentle grip control for handling various objects
Leader in technological development and company creation specializing in force control technology
Shohei Taniguchi
Robotics Promotion Office
Manufacturing Innovation Division
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Joined Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. in 2004. He participated in the advanced development and marketing of the Real Pro massage chair after being assigned to the engineering division. Later, after collaborating with a startup in the field of robotic home appliances, he took up his current role in June 2022. He has been at the forefront of developing technologies that precisely control the force applied by robots to humans and objects and holds a doctorate in engineering.
Developing robotic technology and creating businesses for a well-being society
Our Robotics Promotion Office envisions a well-being society where people thrive, freed from the heavy burdens of modern work and life. We are is committed to developing core technologies and creating businesses that help robots deliver value to society and customers, positioning them as essential life infrastructure.
I lead the development and commercialization of technologies enabling flexible manipulation of objects by robot arms and hands. Using technology that appropriately controls the force applied to humans and objects, I am focused on commercializing a “picking hand” capable of gripping anything dexterously and gently for the logistics and of manufacturing. I am deeply committed to rapidly implement robotic automation and work assistance in society to help solve the critical social problem of labor shortage.
Leveraging Massage Chair Insights in Logistics Applications
I had been researching force control since I was a student. As soon as I joined the company, I was responsible for the advanced development of massage chairs. To get a massage that more closely resembles a human hand, I concentrated about the fact that massage therapists always feel pressure on their hands when they adjust the force they apply. I replicates this using three elements of robotic technology: sensing, control and actuation. In 2008, this work resulted in the world’s first force-controlled massage machine, the Real Pro. A key point was it to sell it to the general public, we used our proprietary low-cost sensors instead of expensive ones used for research to enable mass production.
At the same time, at logistics sites, a wide variety of goods are handled, including flexible or fragile products. The robot hand must be able to pick up these objects gently and reliably without crushing them or dropping them. We have achieved advanced force control technology at low cost using the knowledge of the perfect amount of force developed with the Real Pro. Another key point was the hand design. The pliers, featuring a unique mechanism with a belt attached inside, can gently move an object by rotating the belt while adjusting the force applied after lightly gripping it. We repeated the process of formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and verifying the results. Building on our colleagues’ ideas, we also work to optimize sensor characteristics and develop force sensors and force control algorithms. As a result, we performed highly advanced picking actions, including regular and dexterous grasping of hard and soft objects, changing the orientation of objects in the hand, and expertly packing objects into boxes.