Courses & Events
Dr. Yoshiyuki Sankai
May 17, 2011
04:15 pm - 05:30 pm
Yoshiyuki Sankai received a PhD in engineering from University of Tsukuba in Japan
in 1987. He was Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor at the Institute of
Systems & Engineering at the University of Tsukuba, and a Visiting Professor of Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston, Texas in the United States.
Currently, he is professor of the Graduate School of Systems & Information Engineering
at the University of Tsukuba, and president and CEO of CYBERDYNE Inc. He was/is a
member of Japan Society of Embolus Detection & Treatment and International Journal of
the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) and executive board member of RSJ.
He is the inventor, creator and driving force behind the advanced robotics, Robot Suit
HAL® (Hybrid Assistive Limb ®) and various Cybernics, medical, care and welfare
technologies. In 2006 and 2009, he was invited to provide direction to Japan’s future
science & technology policies by the Council for Science and Technology Policy advising
the prime minister, other Japanese ministers and senior government officials.
Among the awards he won are: World Technology Award (2005), Good Design Gold
Award (2006), Japan Innovator Award (2006), Best Paper Award (International Journal
of Advanced Robotics) (2006), Award from American Society for Artificial Organs, Award
from International Society for Artificial Organs, Award from the Minister of Economy, Trade
and Industry of Japan (2007), Award from National Institute of Science and Technology
Policy (2007), NIKKEI Top – Quality / Service Award (2008) , Award from IEEE / IR,
Invention & Entrepreneurship Award (2009), the 21st century Invention Award from Japan
Institute of Invention and Innovation (2009) , NIKKEI change makers of the year 2010
(2010) , Entrepreneur Of The Year Japan (2010), Netexplorateurs of the Year(2011), and
so on.
In 2007, he was appointed as leader of Global COE (Centre of Excellence) program
for Cybernics by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology of Japan, he obtained the significant grants from NEDO (New Energy and
Industrial Technology Development Organization), and health science grants from the
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and a grant-in-aid for scientific research
from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology.
And now, September in 2009, he was also selected as leader of Center for Cybernics
Advanced Research of Funding Program for World – Leading Innovative R & D on
Science and Technology, set up by Cabinet Office of Japan. He continues to promote the
application of the HAL® technology for the benefit of senior citizens, physically challenged
people and patient groups with specific diseases.
