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2010 - Toshio Fukuda
Dr. Fukuda is known as a pioneer in the field of Intelligence Systems for his research on Modular Robotic Systems called Cellular Robotic System “CEBOT.” Dr. Fukuda developed brachiation controllers, which are important for providing more natural movement in robots. Based on an ape’s brachiation (the pendulum-like movement involved when swinging from tree limb to tree limb), Dr. Fukuda and colleagues addressed “swing locomotion” and “swing up” behaviors resulting in a robot capable of continuous movement over several rungs of a ladder. He pioneered microrobotics technology including the microsensors and microactuators that make the miniature systems possible, and his medical intravascular microsurgery simulator has found commercial use. Dr. Fukuda has worked on three-dimensional manipulation of carbon nanotubes for nanosensors and nanoactuators, with implications for biotechnology applications. He has studied nanorobotic manipulation systems used for sample preparations and cell manipulation/evaluation with carbon nanotubes.
An IEEE Fellow, Dr. Fukuda is a professor in the Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering at Nagoya University, Japan.
2009 - Antal C. Bejczy
Antal K. Bejczy has made unique and fundamental contributions to the understanding and use of robotic human–machine interfaces, including novel and important enhancing roles of automation.
During his career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he pioneered the development of several innovative robot components such “smart hands” with “smart sensors” and a novel telerobotic system using a general-purpose force-reflecting hand controller for remote robot arm control that also serve the medical field. His work also led to the design of a precise microsurgical system and the development of the da Vinci surgical robot system by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., which offers less-invasive procedures. He was principal investigator of a flight experiment using a force-moment sensor enhanced “hand” on the space shuttle arm of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1994 and holds 43 NASA innovation awards.
An IEEE Life Fellow, Dr. Bejczy is retired as a senior research scientist from JPL in 2001.
2008 - Paul Backes, Eric Baumgartner, and Larry Matthies
The individual works of Paul Backes (distributed and remote operations), Eric T. Baumgartner (manipulator control) and Larry Matthies (navigation systems) have advanced robotic technology, particularly rover operations, and made possible the scientific exploration of Mars. The three played individual roles in the overall integration of robotic technology used in space flight systems, particularly the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission Spirit and Opportunity rovers. The rovers are designed to carryout complex tasks safely, while exhibiting human-like qualities such as awareness, cognition and judgment. The contributions of Backes, Baumgartner and Matthies have broad significance to the robotics field in both terrestrial and space applications and have been widely cited in robotics literature.
Dr. Backes, an IEEE member, is the technical group supervisor of the Mobility and Manipulation group in the Mobility and Robotic Systems section at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. He conceived and led the development of an interface system, referred to as SAP (Science Activity Planner) that was used as the primary science planning tool in the 2003 MER mission, as well as providing a way for scientists and engineers to collaborate remotely. Dr. Backes holds seven patents, has written 3 book chapters, 15 journal articles and over 60 conference papers; and is a recipient of numerous awards presented by NASA. He holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a master’s and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
Dr. Baumgartner contributed to the MER project as the lead systems, test and operations engineer for the MER Instrument Positioning System. This system was responsible for the robotic deployment and placement of four in-situ, or “in place,” instruments onto the Martian surface using a five degree-of-freedom robotic arm. Dr. Baumgartner also served as the project element manager responsible for the development of the robotic sampling system on the next flight rover, the Mars Science Laboratory rover. He has published numerous papers and has received several awards for his work on the MER project. Currently, he is the dean of the T. J. Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame, Ind., a master’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Matthies, an associate member of IEEE, pioneered the development of algorithms for visual odometry and real-time 3D perception with stereo vision and contributed to algorithms for visual descent velocity estimation. These capabilities were incorporated into the MER mission, enabling landers to estimate horizontal velocity and rovers to detect obstacles and measure slip. Dr. Matthies’ work is the origin of the rovers’ visual abilities. He is currently supervisor, Computer Vision Group, and Senior Research Scientist at JPL. Dr. Matthies has twice received NASA’s Exceptional Achievement medal, holds two patents, and has published over 100 referreed papers. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, a master’s of mathematics from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, in computer science.
2007 - Gerd Hirzinger
Gerd Hirzinger, director of the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center in Wessling, Germany, is best known for his work in advancing robotic space exploration. He developed ROTEX, the first remotely controlled space robot that flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1993. The robot featured a multisensory gripper that allowed ground control based on “shared autonomy”. Along with his co-workers he teleoperated and teleprogrammed Japan’s ETS VII, the first free flying space robot, in 1999.
Since 2005, he has a small double-joint torque-controlled manipulator ROKVISS on the outside of the international space station ISS, thus demonstrating telepresence with stereo video and force feedback on one side and qualifying lightweight joints for space on the other side. His space mouse – originally developed for ROTEX teleoperation has become the most popular 3D input device. More recently he and his co-workers have developed and commercialized surgical robots, artificial organs, load-reducing aircraft control and innovative brake by wire systems for vehicles.
An IEEE Fellow, he received Diplom-Ingenieur and doctorate degrees from the Technical University of Munich, Germany.
2006 - George A. Bekey
Dr. George A. Bekey’s career of more than 40 years has significantly advanced the art of robotics and automation. His groundbreaking research and teaching in biomedical engineering, robotics and system identification have greatly influenced the direction of such areas as humanoid development, human-robot interaction, and coordination and control of multiple robots.
Now professor emeritus in the computer science and biomedical department at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, Dr. Bekey founded USC’s robotics research and teaching program, gaining both space and funding for the early robots and computers created in the school’s Robotics Research Laboratory. In his initial work, which was years before the current interest in automated transportation, he and his students modeled the behavior of human drivers in single auto lanes. His mathematical models in medicine and biology included those for respiration in the human fetus and adult and for human and animal gaits. This work also included the use of expert systems to diagnose gait malfunctions.
Dr. Bekey designed and built a number of robotic multi-fingered hands and the first quadruped walking robots in America, years ahead of similar efforts. He developed a knowledge-based approach to grasping, a key contribution to understanding the control dynamics of prosthetic hands. He also studied control architectures for groups of robots inspired by biology.
Dr. Bekey introduced the notion of parameter identifiability and near identifiability, which were used to assess the real-time health and structural behavior of large, flexible structures in space.
He has published more than 240 technical papers and two books, and has edited or co-edited eight books.
An IEEE Life Fellow, he also is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Bekey is the founding editor of the IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation and the journal Autonomous Robots. He is a founding member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and a recipient of the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Award and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Distinguished Service Award.
He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.
2005 - Seiuemon Inaba
By using a unique encoded command process to control machines and industrial robots, Dr. Seiuemon Inaba, honorary chairman of FANUC, Ltd. in Oshino-mura, Japan, helped make his company one of the world leaders in this technology. His pioneering concept of flexible automation systems is known as numerical control (NC).Early in his career,he developed NC for commercial purposes and invented the electro-hydraulic pulse motor for servomechanisms. This led to the rapid adoption of NC machine tools to reduce total cost in engineering and manufacturing. He is credited with being the first Japanese industrialist to build and operate an automated factory with NC machine tools and robots.
Dr. Inaba is former president of the Japan Society of Precision Engineering and a recipient of his country's highest honors, including the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon and the Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon.
2004 - Joseph Engelberger
Widely hailed as the father of industrial robotics, Joseph F. Engelberger possesses a rare vision of robots' potential to help humanity and has worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality. In 1961, Mr. Engelberger founded the groundbreaking industrial robot company, Unimation Inc. in Danbury, Connecticut, where he served as president and director until its 1983 sale to Westinghouse Electric Company. He next founded HelpMate Robotics Inc., also in Danbury, which developed the first successful service robot. Retired from the position of chairman in 1999,
Mr. Engelberger is working on a robot that would assist elderly and infirm individuals. A member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Mr. Engelberger has received the Japan Prize, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers-Leonardo da Vinci Award and Columbia University's Egleston Medal. He has authored numerous articles and books, including Robotics in Practice and Robotics in Service.
