Lecture: Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro

In this talk

1. 0:05

   Robots as a way to study people

   Ishiguro describes building robots as a practical way to investigate what makes people human. He compares robot design to painting: both involve choosing how to represent human likeness, and neither can rely on a complete understanding of people.

2. 5:07

   Practical robots and the path to autonomy

   Ishiguro expects humanlike robots to support daily services, including guidance in shopping malls and care for an aging population. He describes a mall system where operators handle conversations while robots perform routine tasks independently; one operator could oversee as many as ten robots. Sensors can track people and robots, though he acknowledges the tension between public safety and privacy.

3. 24:45

   Androids, presence, and identity

   To study human likeness, Ishiguro developed androids with detailed facial expressions, skin sensors, and subtle movements. His teleoperated android lets him give lectures remotely, and synchronized movement can help both visitors and the operator accept the robot as a bodily presence. He also presents Telenoid, a simpler robot designed to invite conversation through the listener’s imagination, including with older people who may find human interaction stressful.

4. 51:05

   Human likeness beyond appearance

   Ishiguro argues that a polished, beautiful android can seem less human because people are imperfect. His proposed alternative is a minimal form that leaves room for listeners to imagine who is speaking. Theater performances and Telenoid conversations show how context, voice, and interaction shape perceptions of a robot.

5. 1:06:35

   Engineering and changing ideas of humanity

   Ishiguro describes research into controlling complex, humanlike robots through biological principles, including using varied movement to learn tasks. He connects engineering with a changing definition of the human body, pointing to artificial limbs and the prospect of closer human-machine integration. The event then moves into demonstrations, including robot soccer and educational sumo robots.