About

Harry Asada is the Ford Professor of Engineering and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests include augmenting human capabilities with wearable robots, modeling and understanding cell interactions through numerical simulations, and building and controlling harmonic actuators based on piezo-electric units. He has contributed to the development of assistive robots for passengers in railway stations, supernumerary robotic limbs, and underwater robots for port security, including a submersible robot capable of undetected ultrasound scans along underwater surfaces. Professor Asada's academic background includes a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from Kyoto University in Japan. His extensive research portfolio encompasses the design of elastic robot hands for precision operations, control of direct-drive robotic arms, and analysis of manipulator dynamics. He has received numerous awards for his work, including best paper awards, the Henry Paynter Outstanding Researcher Award, and the Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, with a long-standing history of service at MIT, including leadership roles in control, instrumentation, and robotics committees. His contributions have significantly advanced the fields of robotics, control systems, and mechanical design.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Engineering
• Simulation
• Embedded system
• Materials science
• Biology
• Structural engineering
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Mechanical engineering
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Biophysics
• Cell biology
• Physics
• Aerospace engineering

Selected publications

• Design and Experimental Validation of Woodwork-Inspired Soft Pneumatic Grippers

  2025-05-19

  articleSenior author

  This paper presents a novel design concept of a pair of soft gripper hands that can establish a secure connection between them for bearing a large load with a low air pressure. The design was inspired by dovetail joints in carpentry that enable a tight, strong connection between two pieces of wood. We propose to mimic the dovetail joint mechanism by using soft robotic fingers that interlace to each other for secure connection. The work was motivated by the need for securing a connection between two soft robotic arms for holding a balance-impaired older adult in case of losing balance. First, the design principle of dovetail-like secure soft finger connection is presented, and its potential application to a portable fall prevention system is described. Details of the dovetail soft finger design, its rapid inflation method, and other implementation issues are then discussed. Through experiments of a proof-of-concept prototype, it is validated that the dovetail soft fingers can bear at least 18 kg of load with only 52 kPa of air chamber pressure filled in 250 ms of charging time. At the end, the proposed method is compared to alternative methods using a Pugh chart.

  PublisherDOI

• Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR): A Robot System for Body-Weight Support, Ambulation Assistance, and Fall Catching, Without the Use of a Harness

  2025-05-19 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  As over 11,000 people turn 65 each day in the U.S., our country, like many others, is facing growing challenges in caring for elderly persons, further exacerbated by a major shortfall of care workers. To address this, we introduce an elder-care robot (E-BAR) capable of lifting a human body, assisting with postural changes/ambulation, and catching a user during a fall, all without the use of any wearable device or harness. Our robot is the first to integrate these 3 tasks, and is capable of lifting the full weight of a human outside of the robot's base of support (across gaps and obstacles). In developing E-BAR, we interviewed nurses and care professionals and conducted userexperience tests with elderly persons. Based on their functional requirements, the design parameters were optimized using a computational model and trade-off analysis. We developed a novel 18-bar linkage to lift a person from a floor to a standing position along a natural trajectory, while providing maximal mechanical advantage at key points. An omnidirectional, nonholonomic drive base, in which the wheels could be oriented to passively maximize floor grip, enabled the robot to resist lateral forces without active compensation. With a minimum width of 38 cm, the robot's small footprint allowed it to navigate the typical home environment. Four airbags were used to catch and stabilize a user during a fall in <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\leq \mathbf{2 5 0 ~ m s}$</tex>. We demonstrate E-BAR's utility in multiple typical home scenarios, including getting into/out of a bathtub, bending to reach for objects, sit-to-stand transitions, and ambulation.

  PublisherDOI

• Multimodal Intention Recognition Combining Head Motion and Throat Vibration for Underwater Superlimbs

  IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering · 2025-03-24

  articleOpen access

  This paper presents a novel solution for underwater intention recognition that simultaneously detects head motion and throat vibration, enhancing multimodal human-robot interactions for underwater diving. The system pairs with an underwater supernumerary robotic limb (SuperLimb), providing propulsion assistance to reduce the diver’s physical load and mental fatigue. An inertial measurement unit monitors head motion, while a throat microphone captures vocal vibrations. Learning algorithms process these signals to accurately interpret the diver’s intentions and map them to the SuperLimb for posture management. The system features a compact design optimized for diving scenarios and includes a multimodal, real-time classification algorithm to distinguish various head motions and vocal signals. By collecting and analyzing underwater throat vibration data, the study demonstrates the feasibility of this approach, enabling continuous motion commands for enhanced diving assistance. The results show that the head motion recognition component of the system achieved a high classification accuracy of 95%, and throat vibration classification reached 86% accuracy on land and 89% underwater for various purposes.

  PublisherDOI

• Cross-modality Force and Language Embeddings for Natural Human-Robot Communication

  ArXiv.org · 2025-02-04

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  A method for cross-modality embedding of force profile and words is presented for synergistic coordination of verbal and haptic communication. When two people carry a large, heavy object together, they coordinate through verbal communication about the intended movements and physical forces applied to the object. This natural integration of verbal and physical cues enables effective coordination. Similarly, human-robot interaction could achieve this level of coordination by integrating verbal and haptic communication modalities. This paper presents a framework for embedding words and force profiles in a unified manner, so that the two communication modalities can be integrated and coordinated in a way that is effective and synergistic. Here, it will be shown that, although language and physical force profiles are deemed completely different, the two can be embedded in a unified latent space and proximity between the two can be quantified. In this latent space, a force profile and words can a) supplement each other, b) integrate the individual effects, and c) substitute in an exchangeable manner. First, the need for cross-modality embedding is addressed, and the basic architecture and key building block technologies are presented. Methods for data collection and implementation challenges will be addressed, followed by experimental results and discussions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mechanically Programming the Cross-Sectional Shape of Soft Growing Robotic Structures for Patient Transfer

  ArXiv.org · 2025-05-16

  preprintOpen access

  Pneumatic soft everting robotic structures have the potential to facilitate human transfer tasks due to their ability to grow underneath humans without sliding friction and their utility as a flexible sling when deflated. Tubular structures naturally yield circular cross-sections when inflated, whereas a robotic sling must be both thin enough to grow between them and their resting surface and wide enough to cradle the human. Recent works have achieved flattened cross-sections by including rigid components into the structure, but this reduces conformability to the human. We present a method of mechanically programming the cross-section of soft everting robotic structures using flexible strips that constrain radial expansion between points along the outer membrane. Our method enables simultaneously wide and thin profiles while maintaining the full multi-axis flexibility of traditional slings. We develop and validate a model relating the geometric design specifications to the fabrication parameters, and experimentally characterize their effects on growth rate. Finally, we prototype a soft growing robotic sling system and demonstrate its use for assisting a single caregiver in bed-to-chair patient transfer.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• An Actuator Pre-Filtering Approach to Control-Coherent Koopman Modeling: Extending Koopman Operators to Systems With Control

  IEEE Control Systems Letters · 2025-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The original Koopman operator theory cannot be applied to non-autonomous systems with exogenous input. Linearizing a nonlinear state equation with respect to the control input causes significant error, misinforming the controller. Bilinear approximations produce better accuracy, but the resultant model is no longer linear. This paper presents an alternative method for constructing a Koopman model for non-autonomous systems. Control-Coherent Koopman (CCK) modeling allows us to obtain a linear model with a constant control matrix by incorporating the dynamics of actuators. Here, the principle of CCK modeling is extended to those systems where actuator dynamics do not meet the requirements for the CCK formulation. Physical actuator dynamics are replaced by virtual dynamics, which are analogous to actuator pre-filters. These virtual dynamics possess independent state variables and new input terms that appear linearly in the filter dynamics. Although the original CCK physical modeling approach suffers a stiff equation problem, the actuator pre-filter approach does not. Conditions for implementation and numerical examples are discussed at the end.

  PublisherDOI

• Spring Loaded Double Pantograph: A Robotic Mechanism for Safe Balance Training

  2025-08-25

  articleSenior author

  A Spring Loaded Double Pantograph (SLDP) mechanism is presented for safe balance training in elderly individuals practicing Tai Chi exercises. As people age, maintaining balance becomes increasingly critical, yet fear of falling often prevents effective exercise, creating a counterproductive cycle that increases fall risk. This natural hesitation to push physical limits during solo practice highlights the need for reliable safety systems. This paper presents a mechanism that provides variable assistance through spring-loaded actuation, so that support and freedom of movement can be balanced in a way that is both effective and unobtrusive. Here, it will be shown that, although support and unrestricted movement are traditionally considered contradictory goals, the two can be achieved simultaneously through mechanical design and the level of assistance can be automatically regulated. In this system, the support mechanism can a) detect falls rapidly, b) provide up to 98.0% body weight support when needed, and c) remain imperceptible during normal exercise. First, the mechanical design principles and kinematic analysis of the double-pantograph structure are presented. Methods for experimental validation with 13 human subjects will be addressed, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness through quantitative metrics of support forces, workspace utilization, and energy efficiency during simulated falls in Tai Chi movements.

  PublisherDOI

• Supernumerary Robotic Limbs to Augment Astronauts Performing Post-Fall Recoveries During Partial-Gravity Spacewalks

  2025-01-03 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  This paper investigates the effectiveness of a type of wearable robot, known as Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SuperLimbs) in assisting an astronaut performing partial-gravity Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs). SuperLimbs can directly address a key technology gap identified by NASA concerning that of incapacitated crew rescue devices during partial-gravity EVAs. To contextualize SuperLimbs in human spaceflight application, we start by reviewing other forms of wearable robotics technologies and perform a qualitative comparison with SuperLimbs. From there, we present a suite of operational modes that SuperLimbs is capable of delivering in a suited partial-gravity EVA.Within the operational mode suite, we selected the most urgent use-case: that of performing a post-fall recovery, and reviewed the results from a pilot-human study. To validate the effectiveness of SuperLimbs in providing the necessary assistive forces needed for a post-fall recovery, a series of validation experiments was performed with a prototype SuperLimbs system.

  PublisherDOI

• Loop closure grasping: Topological transformations enable strong, gentle, and versatile grasps

  Science Advances · 2025-12-10

  articleOpen access

  Grasping mechanisms must both create and subsequently hold grasps that permit safe and effective object manipulation. Existing mechanisms address the different functional requirements of grasp creation and grasp holding using a single morphology but have yet to achieve the simultaneous strength, gentleness, and versatility needed for many applications. We present "loop closure grasping," a class of robotic grasping that addresses these different functional requirements through topological transformations between open-loop and closed-loop morphologies. We formalize these morphologies for grasping, formulate the loop closure grasping method, and present principles and a design architecture that we implement using soft growing inflated beams, winches, and clamps. The mechanisms' initial open-loop topology enables versatile grasp creation via unencumbered tip movement, and closing the loop enables strong and gentle holding with effectively infinite bending compliance. Loop closure grasping circumvents the tradeoffs of single-morphology designs, enabling grasps involving historically challenging objects, environments, and configurations.

  PublisherDOI

• Loop closure grasping: Topological transformations enable strong, gentle, and versatile grasps

  ArXiv.org · 2025-05-15

  preprintOpen access

  Grasping mechanisms must both create and subsequently hold grasps that permit safe and effective object manipulation. Existing mechanisms address the different functional requirements of grasp creation and grasp holding using a single morphology, but have yet to achieve the simultaneous strength, gentleness, and versatility needed for many applications. We present "loop closure grasping", a class of robotic grasping that addresses these different functional requirements through topological transformations between open-loop and closed-loop morphologies. We formalize these morphologies for grasping, formulate the loop closure grasping method, and present principles and a design architecture that we implement using soft growing inflated beams, winches, and clamps. The mechanisms' initial open-loop topology enables versatile grasp creation via unencumbered tip movement, and closing the loop enables strong and gentle holding with effectively infinite bending compliance. Loop closure grasping circumvents the tradeoffs of single-morphology designs, enabling grasps involving historically challenging objects, environments, and configurations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: NRI: Remotely Operated Reconfigurable Walker Robots for Eldercare

  NSF · $620k · 2022–2025

• Stochastic Recruitment and Broadcast Feedback of Cellular Control Systems and Its Application to Muscle Actuators

  NSF · $311k · 2007–2010

• Control-Configured Underwater Robots for Precision Multi-Axis Maneuvering

  NSF · $375k · 2014–2017

• NIH Grant R21EB002258

  NIH · $449k · 2005

• Accurate Linearization and Control of Non-linear Physical Systems using Increased Variables

  NSF · $479k · 2020–2024

Frequent coauthors

• Lee‐Ling Sharon Ong

  65 shared

• Roger D. Kamm

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  57 shared

• Sahan C. B. Herath

  Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology

  41 shared

• Peter C. Y. Chen

  National University of Singapore

  37 shared

• Hai Zhu

  Anhui Medical University

  36 shared

• Matthew J. Lang

  Vanderbilt University

  36 shared

• Debasis Banik

  University of Cambridge

  36 shared

• Ellis L. Reinherz

  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

  36 shared

Labs

• MIT Department of Mechanical EngineeringPI

Education

• Ph.D, Precision Engineering

  Kyoto University

  1978

Awards & honors

• Best Paper Award, Aug. 1979 Society of Instrument and Contro…
• Best Paper Award Aug. 1984 Society of Instrument and Control…
• SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award Sept. 198…
• O.Hugo Schuck Best Paper Award, May 1985 American Control Co…
• Y.Sawargi Best Paper Award, May 1988 Japanese Association of…