Hiraku Sakamoto, Ph.D.

Hiraku Sakamoto, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)
Space-Structure Dynamics Design Laboratory (SDDL)
2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
E-mail: sakamoto [at] sddl.mech.eng.isct.ac.jp

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Space structures and structural dynamics, particularly deployable membrane and cable structures, origami-inspired deployable structures, and large space antennas. Geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis, structural design and verification, spacecraft attitude dynamics and control, and systems engineering for small satellite missions.

 

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering Sciences (December 2004)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, Colorado, USA
Thesis: "Dynamic Wrinkle Reduction Strategies for Membrane Structures"
Advisor: Professor K. C. Park

M.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics (March 2001)
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
Thesis: "Research on Redundancy Concept in Inflatable Space Structures"
Advisor: Professor M. C. Natori

B.S., Mechanical Engineering Synthesis (March 1999)
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
Thesis: "Development of Soft Actuators Using Conducting Plastic Polyaniline"
Advisor: Professor Masayuki Nakao

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Professor (April 2024 - present)
INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
- School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Space-Structure Dynamics Design Laboratory
- Tokyo Institute of Technology merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form the Institute of Science Tokyo in October 2024.

Associate Professor (February 2015 - March 2024)
TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Structural Dynamics Design Laboratory

Visiting Scholar (August 2019 - July 2020)
AALTO UNIVERSITY, Finland

Assistant Professor (April 2008 - January 2015)
TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Structural Dynamics Design Laboratory

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (April 2007 - March 2008)
NIHON UNIVERSITY, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Nakamura-Miyazaki Laboratory
- Advisor: Professor Yasuyuki Miyazaki
- Supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (June 2006 - March 2007)
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Space Systems Laboratory
- Advisor: Professor David Miller
- Developed and experimentally demonstrated a formation-generation algorithm using two SPHERES satellites aboard the International Space Station.
- Supported by JSPS.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (April 2005 - May 2006)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, Colorado, USA
- Conducted research on the dynamics and control of membrane space structures with Professor K. C. Park.
- Developed an attitude determination and control system for the Citizen Explorer I (CX-1) small satellite at the Colorado Space Grant Consortium.
- Supported by a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad.

Research Associate (January - March 2005)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, Colorado, USA
- Conducted research on vibration control of membrane space structures with Professor K. C. Park.
- Assisted with graduate-level teaching in dynamics.

Graduate Research Assistant (January 2002 - December 2004)
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, Colorado, USA
- Developed nonlinear finite element models and vibration control methods for membrane space structures.
- Conducted collaborative research supported by NASA Langley Research Center.

Graduate Student (April 1999 - December 2001)
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
- Proposed and analyzed redundant multi-cellular inflatable space structures, including their bending behavior and robustness against local failures.

Undergraduate Senior Student (April 1998 - March 1999)
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan
- Designed and fabricated soft actuators using conducting polymer materials.

 

GRANT

April 2024 - March 2027: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Design Methodology Development and Space Demonstration of Innovative Space Origami Structure with Multi-Physics Adaptation"
Principal Investigator: H. Sakamoto
Grant No. 24H00358

April 2020 - March 2024: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Research on In-Space Demonstration of Ultra-Lightweight Deployable Origami Array Antenna"
Principal Investigator: H. Sakamoto
Grant No. 20H00281

April 2017 - March 2020: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Construction of Design and Verification Methodology for Large Deployable Space Structures through Development of CubeSat Demonstrator"
Principal Investigator: H. Sakamoto
Grant No. 17H03477

December 2014 - March 2017: Grant for Promoting Science and Technology in the Aerospace Field
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan
Project: "Organization of Research Group on Advanced Deployable Membrane Structures for Innovative Space Science (ORIGAMI)"
Project Leader: H. Sakamoto

April 2010 - March 2013: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Design Exploration of Space Gossamer Structures for Next Generation"
Principal Investigator: H. Sakamoto
Grant No. 22760623

April 2008 - March 2010: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (Start-up)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Dynamical Property Identification and Vibration Control of Gossamer Space Structures"
Principal Investigator: H. Sakamoto
Grant No. 20860037

April 2008 - March 2009: Research Grant for New Assistant Professors
School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Project: "Structure-Control Simultaneous Design of Space Structures Using Numerical Analysis and Ground Testing"

April 2007 - March 2008: Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (PD)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Simultaneous Design of Structural and Control Systems for Membrane and Cable Space Structures"
Host Institution: Nihon University, Japan

April 2005 - March 2007: Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Project: "Structural and Control Design of Membrane Space Structures Based on Dynamic Analysis of Wrinkled Membranes"
Host Institutions: University of Colorado Boulder and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

 

AWARD

Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) (Class of 2021)

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science Award, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (March 2015)
H. Sakamoto, "Research on Structures for Realizing Reliable Stowage and Deployment of the Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator IKAROS."

Tokyo Tech Young Investigator Engineering Award, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (September 2013)
H. Sakamoto, "Shape Control of Space Reflectors Considering Bifurcation Buckling."

Best Paper in Gossamer Systems, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) (April 2012)
H. Sawada, O. Mori, N. Okuizumi, Y. Shirasawa, Y. Miyazaki, M. C. Natori, S. Matunaga, H. Furuya, H. Sakamoto, "Mission Report on the Solar Power Sail Deployment Demonstration of IKAROS," AIAA 2011-1887.

Special Award from the Review Board, Eighth Student Satellite Design Contest in Japan (October 2000)
H. Sakamoto and N. Takeichi, "Earth Appreciation System Using Interactive Digital Broadcasting."

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Associate Fellow (Class of 2021)
Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), Member
Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences (JSASS), Member
University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC-Japan), Chairperson
International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), Member

 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Japanese: Native
English: Proficient

 

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

---> Please see the "Publications" page.

 

REFERENCES

Available upon request.