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Hirata-Dong Lab
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The lab studies AI robots that support people and the coordination of multiple robots working together.
AboutAbout the lab
Toward a future where living with AI robots is the norm.
The Hirata-Dong Lab studies AI robots that support people and systems in which multiple robots work together.
In preparation for a super-aged society, the lab develops human-assistive robots for nursing care and healthcare.
It also works on next-generation industrial robots that handle hard-to-manipulate deformable objects, as well as new 3D printing technologies.
Beyond engineering, the lab will also pursue interdisciplinary research with other fields, including psychology, robot ethics, and robot law.
Key terms
- Deformable objects
- Objects like clothing that change shape easily and are difficult for robots to handle
- Living lab
- A facility for evaluating nursing care robots and verifying their effectiveness. At Tohoku University, one was established at Aobayama Campus
- Dual-arm robot
- A robot with two arms, like a person's, that work together to perform tasks
NewsLab news
Students won the Outstanding Presentation Award at SICE SI2025
Students won two awards at SII2025, including the Best Student Paper Award
Students won the Outstanding Presentation Award at SICE SI2024
A doctoral student won the top prize in a contest to devise new sports using generative AI
ResearchResearch themes
The lab builds AI robots that integrate AI and robotics technologies, and proposes a future society in which humans and robots live together. Its scope is broad, from nursing care and healthcare to infrastructure maintenance and manufacturing.
*Illustrative imageAdaptive AI Robot Groups
The lab participates in the Cabinet Office's Moonshot Research and Development Program and is developing AI robots envisioned for the year 2050. It aims for a group of robots that anyone can use at any time, and whose form and functions change to suit each person.
*Illustrative imageHuman- and Environment-Adaptive Multi-Robotics
Tasks that a single robot cannot do become possible when multiple robots cooperate. The lab studies mechanisms for robots to cooperate with each other and with caregivers in nursing care facilities, as well as cooperative systems that can be used for maintenance of facilities such as offshore wind farms.
*Illustrative imageIndustry-Academia-Government Collaboration through a Living Lab
The lab established a living lab for evaluating nursing care robots and verifying their effectiveness at Aobayama Campus. Through collaboration among industry, academia, and government, it aims to speed up the path from development to demonstration and widespread adoption of nursing care robots.
*Illustrative imageNext-Generation Manufacturing with Dual-Arm Robots
The lab simulates the handling of deformable objects such as clothing, and develops techniques for dual-arm robots to handle them based on the results. It also works on developing a 3D printer that prints lightweight, strong parts from continuous-fiber composites.
MembersFaculty
The Hirata-Dong Lab's members include faculty, visiting faculty, project researchers, international researchers, academic researchers, technical assistants, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, students in the Japanese language education course, and special research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYasuhisa Hirata
- Associate ProfessorAnkit Ravankar
- Assistant ProfessorZonghao Dong
- Project Assistant ProfessorJacinto Colan
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Cognitive Service Robot Cosero” Sven Behnke / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Adaptive AI Robot Groups: “Robot arm handles an assay plate” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Public domain (cropped)
- Human- and Environment-Adaptive Multi-Robotics: “Kilobot robot swarm” asuscreative / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration through a Living Lab: “Honda Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System front 2013 Tokyo Motor Show” Morio / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Next-Generation Manufacturing with Dual-Arm Robots: “3D printer at 35c3 01” Leonhard Lenz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Suzuki (Anna) Lab): “Vale Seccolo Geothermal Power Plant” T. AGEMAR / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Abe Lab): “Offshore wind turbines with helicopter pads” Wikideas1 / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Mizoshiri Lab): “Зеркало резонатора волоконного лазера Er ZBLAN и его рабочее волокно (Resonator mirror of Er ZBLAN fiber laser and its working fiber)” Hius1 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Hashimoto Lab): “KUKA industrial robotic arm performing "The Beach" by Roy Nachum - 02” Oleg Yunakov / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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