Tohoku University Research News of Engineering (Tune) is a publication of School of Engineering (SoE), Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. Each Tune volume provides the scientific community with the latest research results of SoE on a selected topic.
Interview
Text by Stophe POMEROY / Photographs by Hayato IKEGAMI
The Cycling Wheelchair (CW) is a pedal-driven wheelchair enabling even people who have lower limb disabilities to move it with their own leg strength. By controlling the brake and the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) attached to the wheels, we have realized many assistive functions. This wheelchair was demonstrated at the Honolulu Marathon several years ago.
Hirata Yasuhisa
Professor, Department of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
1998 Bachelor’s Degree, 2000 Master’s Degree, and 2004 Ph.D., Tohoku University; 2000-2006 Research Associate, 2006-2016 Associate Professor, and 2016- Professor, Tohoku University; 2020- Project Manager of The Moonshot Research and Development Program, JST; 2016- IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Associate VP for Technical Activities Board, 2016- Co-Chairs of IEEE RSA TC on Rehabilitation and Assistive Robotics, and 2020- IEEE Robotics & Automation Society AdCom Member.