Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro - Robot Science Made in Japan

In this talk

1. 0:33

   Robotics as a way to study people

   Ishiguro argues that robots for everyday use must interact with people, even though human behavior is not fully understood. Building humanoids can test ideas from neuroscience and cognitive science, making robot development part of the study of what makes people human.

2. 4:41

   How much human likeness is useful

   Ishiguro asks what features make robots seem human, including appearance, motion, perception, and conversation. He describes using motion capture to reproduce subtle movements, then working with neuroscientists and psychologists to improve movement and emotional responses. Repeated touching, for example, did not make one android show anger.

3. 11:47

   Presence, performance, and remote work

   Androids have performed a Japanese storyteller’s material, attracted 1,200 followers in a shop-window exhibit, and served as remote stand-ins for Ishiguro at meetings and lectures. He says teleoperation can make an android feel like an operator’s body and can help collect interaction patterns for future automated behavior.

4. 27:11

   Identity and the human-machine boundary

   Ishiguro uses android surrogates to raise questions about who or what has a person’s identity. He also describes a beautiful android that audiences found less humanlike because people are imperfect. Heather Knight notes that familiar devices can stop being thought of as robots, while social expectations depend partly on a robot’s form.

5. 44:01

   Theater as a test ground

   Ishiguro sees theater as a way to shape robot behavior for particular situations, using directors’ instructions and simple scripted actions as an early stage. He says human-robot performances can explore expression and surprise, while Knight is interested in audience reactions and in giving even simple robots expressive body language.