白い背景に写っている男性の顔

Katsushi Ikeuchi

Redmond, WA 98052 | 425-362-9609 | katsushi.ikeuchi@outlook.jp

 

 

Founder and CEO, Irobomation LLC

irobomation@gmail.com

 

Emeritus Professor, University of Tokyo

Katsushi.ikeuchi@outlook.jp

 

 

Areas of Expertise

Robotics | Applied Machine Learning and AI | Systems Thinking | Innovation Strategy

Team Leadership and Collaboration | Technical Mentorship | Prototyping and Experimentation

Ethical and Regulatory Research | Strategic Communication | Teaching and Lecturing

 

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Professional Experience

IROBOMATION LLC, September 2025 - Present
Founder and CEO
Consulting on the latest trends in robotics and automation - from research guidance to strategic consulting

MICROSOFT CORPORATION, April 2015 - August 2025
Principal Research Sciences Manager, Applied Robotics Research Team, Industrial Ingineering Solution, March 2023-August 2025
Led a team of engineers and scientists to develop and reserach systems that capture customer needs and enable them to use Azure smoothy as part of the sales organization.
Developed an operation builder that uses a large language model (LLM) to decompose human language instructions into atomic robot actions, enabling the robot to execute long-horizon tasks. https://youtu.be/_nok-OZ6Jio
Developed reusable components and provided them as open-source software, TSS, to quickly respond to the needs of multiple customers for RL-training, LLM interface, and skill change https://youtu.be/GBfd4Cb9xRA

Principal Research Manager, Strategic Prototyping Team, Technology and Research Division, January 2017 - March 2023
Led a team of engineers and scientists to prototype and productize the next generation of cloud-based AI service robots, while guiding the team to assemble and connect component software scattered around Microsoft Research into a unified platform.
Deployed a team of robots for home and office automation in Building 99 and Microsoft envisioning center.
Developed Learning-from-Observation (LfO) system to observe human behavior, convert it into symbolic representations, and then map it to robot actions https://youtu.be/A7Lrc3CCd1s

Principal Researcher, Visual Computing Group, Microsoft Research Asia, May 2015 - December 2017
Prototyped Microsoft's proprietary cloud-based AI service robots: RABOT and RABOT2 (components including speech recognition and synthesis, chatting engine, and behavior generation, all implemented on Microsoft’s Azure cloud system).
Implemented a system to store human behaviors with spoken words as a behavior-words reservoir on a cloud system.

UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, April 1996 - March 2015
Department Chairman, Department of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, 2006 - 2009
Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, 2000 - 2015
Professor, Department of Information Science, 1997 - 2015
Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, 1996 - 2015
Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, 1996 - 2015

conducted research in robotics and computer vision while supervising more than 50 PhD students, as well as running departments and giving classroom lectures.
Robotics: Developed dancing humanoid robots to automatically mimic human dances from observation of the same dances based on the learning-from-observation paradigm - https://youtu.be/PGKGXxwp6LM
Robotics: Developed tele-operation system of humanoid robots for field activities
Computer Vision: Developed 3D mapping systems and applied the systems to collect 3D data of various cultural heritages for preservation, promotion, and archaeological studies including Japan's Nara Big Buddha, Kamakura Big Buddha, and Asuka Big Buddha; 10 painted tumuli in Kyushu Island; Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, Bayon temple, and Preah Vihear temple; and Egypt's King Kufu's second solar boat https://youtu.be/RlpoLXyLGak

Additional Relevant Experience

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
Principal Research Scientist (Research Professor), Computer Science Department and Robotics Institute
Conducted research in robotics and computer vision while supervising 5 PhD students as well as giving classroom lectures.
Robotics: Developed machine-parts assembly robots that learn how to assemble machines by observing human assembly actions
Computer Vision: Developed an image-based modeling system to automatically create 3D CAD models with shape and color information from observing real objects
Senior ResearchScientist, Computer Science Department and Robotics Institute Conducted research in robotics and computer vision while collaborating with several visiting scientists and 2 PhD students.
Robotics: Developed bin-picking robots based on the binocular photometric stereo systems.
Computer Vision: Developed a vision algorithm compiler to automatically convert 3D CAD models into object recognition programs.


MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY, Japanese Government

Senior Research Member, Electrotechnical Laboratory

Developed various object recognition systems for bin-picking robots under photometric stereo systems.

Research Member, Electrotechnical Laboratory

Developed photometric stereo systems to determine 3D shape of an object by using multiple images under different illumination conditions

 

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Research Scientist, the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

Developed a bin-picking robot, which can grasp an object in a jumble of objects, using the photometric stereo system

Developed a shape-from-shading technique to determine 3D shape of an object from a single image using shading and occluding boundary


Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Information Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Master of Engineering (M. Eng.), Information Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng.), Mechanical Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, and Japan


Award and Prize

The order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (Zuiho-Tyu-Zyusyo) (2022) Emperor of Japan

IEICE Distinguished Achievement and contributions Award (Koseki-syou) (2021) - Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

Funai Achievement Award (2017) - Funai foundation

IPSJ Contribution Award (Ko-seki-syou)(2015) - Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ)

Okawa Prize (2014) Okawa foundation

IEICE Achievement Award (Gyo-seki-syou) (2012) - Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE)

Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shi-zyu-Ho-syo) (2012) Emperor of Japan

PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award (2011) - PAMI-TC, IEEE Computer Society

Most Active Distinguished Lecturer Award (2010) IEEE Robotics and Automation Society

Fellow (2010) - The Robotics Society of Japan

Fellow (2007) - The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE)

Fellow (1998) -The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)


Professional activities

Editor-in-Chief of a journal

Int. J. ITS Research, Jan 2003 - Jan 2009

Int. J. Computer Vision, Nov 2001-Jan 2017

Robotics Society of Japan, Transaction, 2000-2001

IPSJ Trans. CVIM, Founding EIC, 1994 - 2003

 

Conference General Chair

IEEE Int. Conf. Computer Vision (ICCV2017), Venice, 2017

6th IEEE International Workshop on Object Tracking and Classification Beyond and in Visible Spectrum (2009)

IEEE Robotics and Automation Symposium (2008)

International Symposium on ITS Research (ISIR), Nangyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, July 2008

8th Asian Conference on Computer Vision, Tokyo, University of Tokyo, Novenber 2007

IEEE Int. Conf. Computer Vision (ICCV1007), Rio de Janeiro, 2007

11th ITS World Congress (ITSW2004), Nagoya, 2004

IEEE Multisensor Fusion and Integration (MFI2003), Tokyo, July 2003.

IEEE Intelligent Vehicle Conf (IV2001), Tokyo, June 2001

IJSP Meeting Image Recognition and Understanding (MIRU2000), July 2000

IAPR Machine Vision and Application (MVA2000), Tokyo, Nov 2000

IEEE Intelligent Transport System Conf (ITSC1999), Tokyo, October 1999

IEEE Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS1995), Pittsburgh, August 1995

IEEE Workshop CAD based Vision, February, 1994

 

Conference Program Chair

IEEE Int. Conf. Computer Vision (ICCV2015), Santiago, Chile, 2015

21st International Conference on Pattern Recognition (ICPR2012), Tsukuba, Japan, 2012

IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2009), Kobe, Japan, 2009

13th ITS World Congress (ITSW2007), Beijing, 2007

IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV2005), Las Vegas, June 2005

IEEE Int. Conf. Computer Vision (ICCV2003), Beijing, Oct 2003

IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV2002), Versailles, June 2002

IEEE Intelligent Vehicle Symposium (IV2000), Deabourn, Oct 2000

Asian Conf. Computer Vision (ACCV2000), Taipei, Jan 2000

IAPR Machine Vision and Application (MVA1998), Makuhari, Nov 1998

IPJS Meeting Image Recognition and Understanding, Ogaki, July 1998.

IEEE Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR1996), San Francisco, June 1996


Ph.D. Dissertations Supervised

EE department, University of Tokyo

Takahiro Okamoto (2015),Roxas Menandro Dela Cruz (2015), Shaodi You (2015)

Ashwani Kumar (2014), Wang Zhipeng (2014), Xiang Qi Huang (2013)

Phongtarin Vinayavekhin (2013), Kent Fujiwara (2013), Hong Xun Zhao (2012)

Tomoaki Higo (2010), Tetsuro Morimoto (2009), Shigemi Nagata (2009)

Shirmila Mohottala (2008), Bo Zheng (2008), Miti Ruchanurucks(2007)

Rei Kawakami (2007), Takaaki Shiratori (2006), Atsuhiko Banno (2005), Shintaro Ono (2005)

Ryusuke Sagawa (2002), Hiroshi Kawasaki (2002), Yasuyuki Matsushita (2002), Koishi Ogawara (2001)

CS department, University of Tokyo

Min Lu (2013), Yasuhide Okamoto (2009), Shin�ichiro Nakaoka (2005), Tomohito Masuda (2005)

Shunsuke Kudo (2004), Daisuke Miyazaki (2004), Jun Takamatsu (2003), Shuntaro Yamazaki (2003)

Robby T. Tan (2003), Ko Nishino (2001)

III department, University of Tokyo

Osamu Naito (2015), Kouhei Koide (2015), Taiki Fukiage (2015), Tetsuya Kakuta (2008)

Takeshi Oishi (2004), Imari Sato (2004)

Robotics department, Carnegie Mellon University

George Paul (1997), Youichi Sato (1997), Fredric Solomon (1996), Harry Shum (1996)

Sing Bing Kang (1994)

CS department, Carnegie Mellon University

Mark D. Wheeler (1996)

ECE department, Carnegie Mellon University

Shree K. Nayar (1990)


BOOKS

1.                       K. Ikeuchi, et. al. (2025): Learning from Observation 2.0, Springer

2.                       K. Ikeuchi (2021): Computer Vision Reference Guide, Second edition, Springer.

3.                       K. Ikeuchi, et. al. (2020): Active Lighting and its Application for Computer Vision, Springer.

4.                       K. Ikeuchi (2015): Kyushu Painted Tumulus, Tokyo Shoseki (in Japanese)

5.                       K. Ikeuchi (2014): Computer Vision a reference guide, Springer.

6.                       K. Ikeuchi, T. Oishi (2010): 3D Digital Archiving, Univ. Tokyo Press (in Japanese)

7.                       K. Ikeuchi and D. Miyazaki (2007): Digitally Archiving Cultural Objects, Springer.

8.                       M. Onoe, K. Ikeuchi, T. Hagura (2005): 3D Imaging Handbook, Asakura-shoten (in Japanese)

9.                       K. Ikeuchi, Y. Sato (2001): Modeling from Reality, Kluwer Academic Pub.

10.                   K. Ikeuchi, M. Veloso (1997): Symbolic Visual Learning, Oxford Univ Press.

11.                   M. Ejiri, Y. Ohta, K. Ikeuchi (1990): Machine Vision, Sho-Ko-Do (in Japanese)

 

Representative Papers


Computer Vision


Robotics


e-Heritage


Representative Talks

 

 

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