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Tomotaka Takahashi

Also known as 高橋智隆

Tomotaka Takahashi is a Japanese robot creator who designs small humanoid robots, from a magnet-footed walker to a talking space companion and a robot phone. Born in 1975 in Kyoto prefecture and raised in Otsu, he studied at Ritsumeikan University's College of Social Sciences, entered Kyoto University's Faculty of Engineering in 1999, and founded Robo Garage in 2003 as the first venture project on the Kyoto University campus. TIME listed his Chroino robot among its Best Inventions of 2004, and he won RoboCup world championships with Team Osaka between 2004 and 2008. He worked on the talking robot Kirobo, launched toward the International Space Station in 2013, and co-developed the robot-shaped phone RoBoHoN with Sharp in 2016. At present, he is founder and CEO of Robo Garage and a visiting professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University.

Now at
Robo Garage and Osaka Electro-Communication University
Born
1975
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1975–2003

    From sociology to Kyoto engineering

    Born in 1975 in Kyoto prefecture and raised in Otsu, he studies at Ritsumeikan University's College of Social Sciences (Class of 1998). In 1999 he is accepted to Kyoto University's Faculty of Engineering, and he graduates from its Undergraduate School of Engineering Science in 2003.

  2. By 2002

    The electromagnet walking robot

    At Kyoto University he builds a robot with electromagnets in its feet that walks on metal plates by magnetic force, and a toy maker turns it into a product with help from the university's technology transfer office. Kyosho sells robots using his patented walking technology, starting with GUN WALKER in 2002.

  3. 2003

    Founding Robo Garage

    In 2003 he founds Robo Garage, the first venture project on the Kyoto University campus, and sets up his office inside the university.

  4. 2004–2008

    Chroino and RoboCup titles

    In 2004, TIME lists his 14-inch Chroino robot among its Best Inventions of 2004, noting the SHIN-Walk technology that lets it avoid the bent-knee walk of other robots. As a core member of Team Osaka, he wins RoboCup world championships between 2004 and 2008.

  5. 2008–2009

    Evolta robots for Panasonic

    He designs and builds the EVOLTA series of robots to show the power of Panasonic's EVOLTA batteries. The robots climb a Grand Canyon cliff in 2008 and run at Le Mans for 24 hours in 2009.

  6. 2013

    Kirobo flies to space

    In 2013, Japan launches Kirobo, billed as the world's first talking humanoid robot "astronaut", toward the International Space Station as a companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata. He works on the robot with the advertising firm Dentsu and Toyota.

  7. 2016

    RoBoHoN, a robot phone

    In 2016, he develops RoBoHoN with Sharp, a robot-shaped phone about 19.5 cm tall that walks on two legs. Face recognition and voice recognition software lets the phone learn more about its user the more it is used.

  8. As of October 2026

    CEO and visiting professor

    He is the founder and CEO of Robo Garage, set up in 2003, and a visiting professor at Osaka Electro-Communication University.

Career

  1. Since 2003Robo GarageFounder, CEO
  2. NowOsaka Electro-Communication UniversityVisiting Professor

Education

  1. 2003Kyoto UniversityUndergraduate studies, Engineering Science
  2. 1998Ritsumeikan University

From the biography.

  1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Kyoto University. 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.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Kyoto University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Kyoto University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.

Sources and credits

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  1. 01 How I Became a Robot Creator: Pursuit and Challenge of What I was absorbed in | KyotoU's Shin-kiten | Kyoto University's 125th anniversary website kyoto-u.ac.jp. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Artistic Sense and a Dream made Manifest: Robi Robot Creator Tomotaka Takahashi | Ritsumeikan University en.ritsumei.ac.jp. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Robot Creator wipo.int. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Walk Tall - Best Inventions of 2004 - TIME content.time.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Japan launches talking humanoid robot into space | KSL.com ksl.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. RoBoHoN Mobile Robotic Phone - Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd sharp.ca. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Top 10 facts about RoBoHoN, Sharp's new robot phone futurefive.com.au. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Tomotaka Takahashi | MMA / Marketing + Media Alliance mmaglobal.com. Checked 20 October 2026.