Biography
Toshihiko Fukushima (福島 俊彦 in Japanese 🇯🇵) is a Ph.D. student in the Robotic Materials Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. He has a background in robotics and automotive engineering. His current areas of interest are bio-inspired robotics, dynamic locomotion, and soft robotics.
He received his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Toyota Technological Institute in 2012 and his Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Information Studies from The University of Tokyo in 2014. He then worked as an automotive engineer at Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Motorsport GmbH, and NTN Walzlager (Europa) GmbH.
- Robotics
- Embodied Intelligence
- Biomimetics
PhD - Robotics (expected 2025)
Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Germany
MAS - Informatics, 2014
The University of Tokyo, Japan
BE - Engineering, 2012
Toyota Technological Institute, Japan
🎨 Portfolio
🦘 PELE: A musculoskeletal robotic leg powered by HASELs
A robotic leg powered by electrohydraulic artificial muscles achieves agile, adaptive, yet energy-efficient locomotion.
🐟 Fish robot
A fish robot as a robotic animal for understanding the biology of muscle activity for swimming locomotion
🐿️ Squirrel robot
A squirrel robot for studying squirrel’s aerial righting ability.
🦎 Gecko robots
Geckos robots inspired from a nature’s elite sprinter.
🏃 Pole vaulting robots
Sports Biomechanics from the Perspective of Robotics
🚶 Passive Dynamic Walker
Optimizing foot shape of a passive dynamic walker enables robust walking against changes in slope inclination.
📝 Selected Publications
📸 Media Exposure
Over 200+ articles in 12+ languages
More media »
📺 BBC News
Click: Science program 🇬🇧
📖 Wirtschafts Woche
Unter Spannung: Künstliche Muskeln mobilisieren Roboter 🇩🇪
🏅 Max Planck Society
Research highlights 2024
📺 3sat
Nano: Science program 🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇨🇭
📖 National Geographic Deutschland
Forschende entwickeln Roboter mit künstlichen Muskeln 🇩🇪
📖 Stuttgarter Maschinenbau
Moderne robotik 🇩🇪
📺 SWR
SWR Aktuell: Evening news 🇩🇪
📰 Routers
What if robots had artificial muscles? 🇬🇧
📺 YTN
YTN24: Evening news 🇰🇷
📰 TNN Thailand
นักวิจัยพัฒนา “กล้ามเนื้อเทียม” ช่วยให้หุ่นยนต์เดินและกระโดดได้ 🇹🇭
📰 朝鮮日報
두발 로봇에 ‘인공근육’ 달아 13㎝ 뛰어올랐다 🇰🇷
📰 人民日报
新型“肌肉”驱动机器腿能走会跳 🇨🇳
🏅 nature communications
Editors’ Highlights
📰 Rzeczpospolita
Roboty zyskały mięśnie. Ten przełom ma daleko idące skutki 🇵🇱
📺 WKYT
Better Living: Morning news 🇺🇸
📰 El Economista
Investigadores crean la primera pierna robótica con “músculos artificiales” 🇪🇸
📺 TNN ช่อง16
TNN Tech REPORTS: Tech. program 🇹🇭
📰 科技日报
科技新突破丨告别传统马达？全新“人造肌肉”驱动机器人行走和跳跃 🇨🇳
🏅 IEEE Spectrum
Video Friday
📰 AFP
First robot leg with ‘artificial muscles’ jumps nimbly 🇫🇷
📰 CANADIAN AFFIARS
First robot leg with ‘artificial muscles’ jumps nimbly: study 🇨🇦
📰 THE HINDU
First robot leg with ‘artificial muscles’ jumps nimbly: study” 🇮🇳
📺 KBS
월드24: Evening news 🇰🇷
📰 heise
Artificial muscle could replace electric motors in robots 🇩🇪
📰 NEW YORK The Sun
First Robot Leg With ‘Artificial Muscles’ Can Jump, Researchers Say 🇺🇸