PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Seiuemon Inaba

Also known as 稲葉清右衛門

Seiuemon Inaba was a Japanese engineer whose numerical-control work used encoded commands to control machines and industrial robots. He graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Engineering and joined Fuji Tsushinki Manufacturing in 1946. In 1955, he led Fujitsu's controls project, whose team developed Japan's first private-sector NC and servo systems in 1956; FANUC became independent in 1972. FANUC developed and installed robots in its factories in 1974 and began exporting them in 1977; Inaba served as president from 1975 to 1995. He received IEEE's Robotics and Automation Technical Field Award in 2005 for contributions to numerical-control machines, industrial robots and flexible factory automation, and died in October 2020 as FANUC's founder and honorary chairman.

Born
1925
Died
2020
Works
20
Citations
9
h-index
2
Badges

Years link to their sources. Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1925–1946

    Engineering at Tokyo and Fujitsu

    Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in March 1925, he graduates from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Engineering in September 1946 and joins Fuji Tsushinki Manufacturing in November 1946.

  2. 1955–1956

    Japan's first private-sector NC

    In 1955, Inaba leads Fujitsu's new project team; it develops Japan's first private-sector NC and servo systems in 1956. His numerical-control work uses encoded commands to control machines and industrial robots.

  3. 1965

    A doctorate in engineering

    He receives a doctorate in engineering in July 1965.

  4. 1972

    Launching Fujitsu Fanuc

    Fujitsu Fanuc launches as an independent company in May 1972. Inaba becomes senior managing director and the new company's de facto leader.

  5. 1974–1977

    Industrial robots at FANUC

    FANUC develops and produces industrial robots from 1974, installing robots in its factories. In 1977, it starts exporting industrial robots.

  6. 1975–1995

    President of FANUC

    In May 1975, he becomes FANUC's president. He steps down as president in 1995.

  7. 2005

    IEEE robotics award

    In 2005, IEEE gives him the Robotics and Automation Technical Field Award for long-standing leadership and technical contributions to numerical-control machines, industrial robots and flexible factory automation.

  8. October 2020

    Founder and honorary chairman

    He dies in October 2020 at age 95 as FANUC's founder and honorary chairman.

Career

  1. From 1975FANUC CorporationFounder, President
  2. 1946–1956FujitsuProject Team Leader

Education

  1. 1946University of Tokyo

From the biography.

Most-cited works

  1. An experience and effect of FMS in machine factory1982 · IEEE Control Systems Magazine · 4 citations
  2. Assembly of robots by AI robot2002 · Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society · 3 citations
  3. Fundamental Research on Rotary Hydraulic Servomotor1965 · Transactions of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers · 1 citations
  4. AUTOMATION OF A MACHINE FACTORY USING CNC's WITH LARGE-CAPACITY BUBBLE MEMORIES AND A ROBOT1981 · Elsevier eBooks · 0 citations
  5. An attempt to innovate Godunov Method2016 · 0 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 21 October 2026.

  1. People shaping AI work at a median of 3 organizations over a career: 3 for university starters and institute and lab starters, versus 2 for company startersIncludes University of Tokyo. Across 6,853 people shaping AI with a dated work role, we estimate a median of 3 parent organizations over a career (mean 3.6), comparing role groups, starting sectors and starting decades from the 1950s to 2020–2026.
  2. Universities keep AI researchers for a median of 6 years, compared with 2 years at frontier labsIncludes University of Tokyo. Across 15,811 dated work stays (6,529 people), median role tenure runs from 6 years at universities to 2 years at frontier labs. We compare all five organization types, starting decades from the 1970s to the 2020s, and the organizations that keep people longest.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Tokyo. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes University of Tokyo. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.

Sources and credits

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  1. Seiuemon Inaba: Fanuc CEO 1975–1995 the-shashi.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. FANUC History | Innovation and Leadership in Automation fanuc.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Seiuemon Inaba - Engineering and Technology History Wiki ethw.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. FANUC founder Dr. Seiuemon Inaba passed away ifr.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. IEEE Robotics and Automation Technical Field Award (TFA) - IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Website ieee-ras.org. Checked 21 October 2026.