Skoltech is an international graduate research-focused university that was founded by the group of world-renowned scientists in 2011. Skoltech's curriculum focuses on technology and innovation, offering Master's programs in 11 technological disciplines. Students receive rigorous theoretical and practical training, design their own research projects, participate in internships and gain entrepreneurial skills in English. The faculty is comprised of current researchers with international accreditation and achievements.

Humanoid Robots Pioneer Delivers Lectures at Skoltech

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro delivering a lecture at Skoltech. Photo: Ilan Goren

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro delivering a lecture at Skoltech. Photo: Ilan Goren

Press release, 14.05.2015

One of the world’s leading authorities on personal robots has delivered two lectures at Skoltech (the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology), promoting his hypothesis that the robot society of the future may come sooner than we think.

Skoltech is seeking to become a leading forum for technological discussion on the international stage, and the two lectures from Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro on Thursday and Friday represented two small but sure steps along that path.

“I strongly believe that in a couple of years we will have a robot society,” the 49-year-old scientist from Osaka University told a group of Skoltech students.

“Once society really accepts robots, we will start to see the emergence of this society, just as we have smartphones today.”

Ishiguro is world renowned for his research in robot clones, and was the subject of the 2007 documentary “Mechanical Love.” He is known for the robot clone he built of himself named Geminoid, complete with the slight build, thick black shock of hair, glasses and black clothes that Ishiguro is never seen without.

Ishiguro runs Japan’s biggest robot research program at Osaka University, where he is entrusted with a $4 million annual budget from the government.

The money goes on researching ways to integrate humanoid robotics technology into everyday lives – therefore many of his lectures focus on all the obvious – and more surprising – benefits that humanoid robots can have.

He first explains the appeal of humanoid robots: “The human has a brain to recognize humanlike things. To use a device we need a manual. But we don’t need any manual to interact with humanlike things,” Ishiguro says.

They must not become too realistic, he warns:  “We need to distinguish between humans and non-humans. If we can’t, it is very uncomfortable.”

He also delves into the more psychological areas of the human condition – breaking down the idea of a physical “human presence” and the surprisingly low amount of stimuli required to simulate it.

“If a voice comes from a speaker, we can’t feel presence, because that’s just one modality. But if we add some perfume, the suddenly I can feel a human presence,” he says.

“Two modalities are enough to feel human presence.”

Once human presence is simulated and augmented by robots, the applications are endless, Ishiguro says. They can be conversation partners, personal assistants, imparters of education – and simply a feel-good toy that lowers stress and prolongs life expectancy.

“The elderly don’t like humans,” Ishiguro says, in one example. “They hate them. Especially with people with dementia. But a robot works very well for the elderly.”

As he speaks, a video shows senior citizens hugging and stroking soft, white, humanoid robots that you could call a “smart teddy bear.”

Another example shows two videos side by side: On the left, a teacher struggles to keep control of 30 five-and-six-year-old as she teaches a class. On the right, the children sit and listen intently. The only difference is that the kids on the right are each hugging a humanoid robot, which relays the teacher’s words through a speaker.

Subsequent tests showed the children whose learning was robot-assisted took in and retained far more information from the teacher than those without robots.

It is these deeper questions of human comfort and contentment that occupy most of Ishiguro’s robotics research, altruistic qualities that earn him fans the world over. After giving a lecture on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, Ishiguro was made an honorary citizen of Corleone.

But what about his personal preferences when it comes to robotics? How much of Ishiguro’s personal life is assisted by robots?

“Not much, not yet,” he says. “But this is not far away.”

And the ideal look for a humanoid robot?

“Half-Japanese, half-Russian,” Ishiguro says. “This is the most beautiful combination.”

Ishiguro’s first lecture was titled “Androids and Our Future Life,” while the second was called “Adaptation to Tele-operated Anthropomorphic Robots.”

Contact information:
Skoltech Communications
+7 (495) 280 14 81

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