Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, The Future Life Supported by Robotic Avatars

In this talk

1. 0:07

   Robots as a way to study people

   Ishiguro argues that people naturally respond to humanlike forms, making them useful interfaces. Because science lacks a complete account of how people move, perceive, and interact, his team builds robots to test hypotheses about human behavior. He calls this a constructive approach and describes working across robotics, neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychology.

2. 2:29

   How much human likeness is useful?

   Androids need more than realistic faces: subtle movement and emotional responses also shape whether they seem human. Ishiguro describes measuring human motion and using models of brain control to improve a robot whose movements seemed unnatural. A robot that did not react with irritation to repeated shoulder taps also showed why realistic touch responses need to reflect human emotions.

3. 7:07

   Remote presence through avatars

   Ishiguro presents examples of androids designed for specific roles, including a rakugo performer, a shop-window figure, and a singing idol. For conversation, he combines computer dialogue with teleoperation: an operator’s speech and head movements control an android. Operators can come to feel that the android is their body, while audiences may experience it as Ishiguro himself.

4. 18:01

   Design that invites imagination

   A highly realistic android can appear more polished than a person, prompting questions about what makes someone human. Ishiguro suggests that a simpler, neutral design can let people imagine the person behind it. He describes using Telenoid in conversations with older adults in Denmark, where it supports social interaction and gives clinicians a way to check health.

5. 22:48

   Everyday devices and human identity

   Ishiguro proposes giving mobile phones a more humanlike form, arguing that people relate more naturally to human-shaped devices than to black boxes. He connects this idea to ancient clay figures used to communicate with the dead. As machines become more humanlike, he says, people will have new reasons to consider how they define humanity, mind, and presence.