Hiroshi Ishiguro's Newest Creations Start Work in Tokyo

 Robotics  

Hiroshi Ishiguro unveiled two of his latest androids at Tokyo's Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation recently. The androids will act as announcers and science guides for visitors to a new permanent exhibition at the museum.

Japanese robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, has unveiled two new uncanny valley-broaching android robots at the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Japan.

The robots, called Kodomoroid and Otanaroid will read the news for patrons at the exhibit. They follow the development of Ishiguro's previous replicant robots like the Gemenoid F.

Ishiguro says they will be useful for research on how people interact with robots and on what differentiates the person from the machine.

"Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human, examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking."

"Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human," Ishiguro, an Osaka University professor told reporters recently, "examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking."

Otonaroid In a demonstration, the remote-controlled machines moved their lips in time to a voice-over, twitched their eyebrows, blinked and swayed their heads from side to side. They remain seated but can gesture with their hands.

The robot, designed with a girlish appearance, can use a variety of voices, such as a deep male voice one minute and a squeaky girly voice the next. The speech can be input by text, giving them perfect articulation, according to Ishiguro.

There were some glitches — such as the lips not moving at all while the robot spoke, or the Otonaroid announcer robot staying silent twice when asked to introduce itself.

But glitches are common with robots because they are delicate gadgetry sensitive to their environment, and this is still technology at the bleeding-edge.

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Kodomoroid and the woman robot Otonaroid were joined at the demonstration by Ishiguro's minimally designed Telenoid, a mannequin head with pointed arms that serves as a cuddly companion.

At the event, Ishiguro also commented on Japanese Internet company Softbank recent release of their robot, Pepper, which will sell for less than 200,000 yen ($2,000 USD). He stated that Pepper's arrival means robots are increasingly becoming part of everyday life in Japan.

"Robots are now becoming affordable — no different from owning a laptop," he said.




SOURCE  Huffington Post

By 33rd Square

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