Image Credit: Information Somatics Laboratory, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo.
“Handoid” is a novel hand-shaped robotic avatar that switches its morphology between acting as a part of a humanoid robot and an independent hand-shaped robot avatar physically separated from the humanoid body. We caught up with the SIGGRAPH 2025 Emerging Technologies Audience Choice Award winners Hideki Shimobayashi, Tomoya Sasaki, and Masaharu Hirose to learn more about their award winning work, “Handoid: Inter-morphologic Robotic Hand Avatar for Multi Presence.“
SIGGRAPH: Congratulations on winning the SIGGRAPH 2025 Emerging Technologies Audience Choice Award for your work, “Handoid: Inter-morphologic Robotic Hand Avatar for Multi Presence.” What does it mean to your team to walk away from SIGGRAPH with an award?
Hideki: We are honored to have received the SIGGRAPH 2025 Audience Choice Award. SIGGRAPH has always been an event we’ve deeply admired, showcasing the world’s most cutting-edge technologies and creative expressions. We are tremendously encouraged that our research project, “Handoid”, was recognized not only for its technical innovation, but also for the vision and experience it represents. This recognition from the attendees who tried our demo is particularly meaningful.
SIGGRAPH: Your work opens new horizons for robotic interaction with the ability to switch from a humanoid robot and an independent hand-shaped robot avatar. What was the inspiration to pursue this work?
Tomoya: Our inspiration came from two different fields. The first came from fictional media such as dramas, anime, and games. In these media, hand-shaped characters move autonomously, and their appearances evoke both surprise and a sense of affection. We wanted to bring that excitement from fictional worlds into reality, and we thought that using a robotic hand would be one way to realize this idea. The second source of inspiration was technical curiosity. Recently, various humanoid robots have gained intelligent motion through machine learning. Against this background, we wondered whether robots other than legged ones could also acquire walking capabilities. If a robotic hand could move using its own abilities, it would augment the functionality of humanoid robots that use robotic hands. Thus, this project was born from both the imagination inspired by fictional media and our technical curiosity.
SIGGRAPH: In your journey of creating “Handoid”, did you run into any roadblocks or technical issues? If so, what were they, and how did your team overcome them?
Hideki: The concept of “Handoid” revolves around crafting a novel experience: The physical separation and reattachment of a hand-shaped avatar from a humanoid “body,” which functions as a tele-existence robot. Bringing this “inter-morphologic” concept to reality was certainly an adventure.
We particularly struggled to balance the robotic hand’s walking locomotion. We faced a dilemma: To achieve stable walking, we needed to increase the structure’s robustness, but this would add weight and hinder its ability to walk. Finding the optimal balance took a significant amount of time.
Furthermore, the “detachment” mechanism at the base of the hand had to meet strict requirements. It had to separate reliably at a specific moment, but it also had to never detach unintentionally when being used as a standard tele-existence robot. To solve this problem, our team developed a new mechanism specifically for the demonstration, combining the properties of magnets. We developed this together with our lab members, which helped tremendously.
SIGGRAPH: Why did you choose to submit your work to the SIGGRAPH 2025 Emerging Technologies program? What does it mean to you to be part of such a special event with bright minds in the computer graphics and interactive techniques industry?
Hideki: We believe that our “Handoid” concept is something entirely new, and that the SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies program is the perfect venue in which to introduce it. Emerging Technologies is one of the few, precious places in the world where you can present a vision for the future as a technical “demonstration,” even if the concept is still in its early stages. Having outstanding researchers and creators from around the world experience “Handoid” directly and discussing its future potential with them was an invaluable experience for us. We are deeply proud to have shared our vision with this remarkable community.
SIGGRAPH: What is next for “Handoid”? What did you learn from your time at SIGGRAPH 2025, and how do you see this project evolving?
Hideki: We were truly surprised by the strong interest and positive reactions that we received during our demo at SIGGRAPH 2025. The concept of “detaching a hand from one’s body,” which may seem strange at first, resonated with attendees far more than we ever imagined. This made us realize the potential of our concept and has given us tremendous momentum moving forward. In the near future, our focus will be enhancing the technical maturity of “Handoid”. However, this is just one approach to achieving a future where people are liberated from the constraints of their physical bodies and spatial limitations.
SIGGRAPH: Do you have any advice for anyone looking to submit their work to SIGGRAPH 2026?
Masaharu: SIGGRAPH is a conference with a long and storied history, and its Emerging Technologies program is the absolute best place to launch new technical concepts. If your work is accepted, you will have the chance to showcase your interaction to the community in an ideal demonstration environment. We strongly encourage you to take on the challenge with research that truly excites you.
The future is bright for the “Handoid” team! Do you have your own trailblazing work that you want to display to the SIGGRAPH community? Submissions for SIGGRAPH 2026 Emerging Technologies are opening soon. Bookmark our submissions page and check back soon for more information!
Hideki Shimobayashi is a Ph.D. student at The University of Tokyo. His research is at the intersection of human-robot interaction and haptic interface design, with the aim of augmenting human capabilities. He develops novel systems that combine technical innovation with user-centered design.
Tomoya Sasaki has been an assistant professor at Tokyo University of Science since 2023. He received his master’s degree in Media Design from Keio University Graduate School of Media Design, Japan. He completed his Ph.D. degree at the Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan. His research interests include Robotics, Haptics, Wearable Technologies, and Virtual Reality.
Masaharu Hirose is a researcher in Toyota Motor Corporation and an associated researcher in the University of Tokyo. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2024. His research interests include human-computer interaction, haptic interface, AI/ML, and verification of empirical sensor systems.
