Professor Kazuya Yoshida of Tohoku University has made substantial contributions to the field of space robotics over the past four decades, including work on orbital servicing missions and exploration of the Moon, planets, and asteroids.
In this short talk, he will present an advanced research initiative under Japan’s Moonshot R&D Program, which aims to develop a collaborative, heterogeneous, multi-robot system for lunar resource exploration and the autonomous construction of human outposts. The project centers on the use of modular robotic designs—highly advantageous for space missions where the delivery of new hardware is logistically constrained. These robots can be reconfigured in the field by rearranging their components, enabling real-time functional adaptation. The program also focuses on developing plug-and-play AI-based controllers capable of recognizing each robot’s current configuration and assigning tasks accordingly.
The presentation will feature recent indoor experiments of the newly developed “MoonBots” at analog lunar environments. This Moonshot challenge aims to deliver robust, scalable, and sustainable robotic technologies to support future lunar missions and beyond.
Speaker:
Professor Kazuya Yoshida received his B.Eng., M.Eng., and Dr.Eng. degrees in Mechanical Engineering Science from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1984, 1986, and 1990, respectively. He served as Research Associate at the same institution from 1986 to 1994 and as Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1994.
He joined Tohoku University in 1995 as Associate Professor and has been Full Professor in Department of Aerospace Engineering since 2003. In addition to his academic career, Professor Yoshida served as Chief Technology Officer of ispace Inc., a commercial venture focused on lunar transportation services and surface exploration. He currently serves as CTO of CislunarTechnologies Inc., a start-up developing microsatellites for Earth and lunar missions.
He has also played a prominent role in international space education, contributing to Master of Space Studies (MSS) program at International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France, and to its Summer Study Programs (SSP) held worldwide.
Since 2026, Professor Emeritus, and Specially Appointed Professor at New Industry Creation Hatchery Center of Tohoku University
Free admission, open to all members of the university community and the public, subject to availability.
05.06.2026