Android Science

02/27/06
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Bring me home, please

replieeQ2.jpg

[ReplieeQ2. via MouRa]

Hiroshi Ishiguro, who is the creator of the world's most human-like robot named ReplieeQ2 (a short video clip), is going forward with a seminal idea and hard work, some of which he may soon be able to delegate to an android of himself.

"I will not need to come here again" "I will send my android instead" - according to The Sydney Morning Herald, that is what he said at at an international conference that recently took place in Sydney. In order to ensure his new android would resemble him as closely as possible, he was already covered from top to toe in a plaster cast and precise measurements of his skull were taken. He expects to finish building the android of himself within a few months.

Last summer, Ishiguro gave a planery talk at a workshop, in which he talked about Android Science, a cross-interdisciplinary framework.

His paper is available for download from the workshop website. Androids and other robots are different in the way they are evaluated -- because androids are expected to resemble humans as much as possible. There are a number of unique research challenges that need to be addressed for building better androids. And one could say that many of these challenges are related to the issue of anthropomorphism.

Androids could also enable new methods for congnitive science research. Imagine an android version of Turing Test. Well, you can already do it with ReplieeQ2, I guess. Ishiguro discusses the issue of uncanny valley in relation to such a test. Uncanny valley corresponds to the state that androids imperfectly resemble humans and look like moving corpse. People will like them better if they look either more like humans or less like humans. I'm not an expert in this field, but it sounds like a key issues in this research.

[illustration by cami dodson]

Again, what's particularly interesting is the mutually benefitting relationship of android engineering and cognitive science -- because androids could help advance cognitive science research, which will perhaps help build better androids.

related website:
Android Science (Ishiguro Lab at Osaka University)

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 by: Régine Debatty Hiroshi Ishiguro, who is the creator of the world's most human-like robot named ReplieeQ2 (a short video clip), is going forward with a seminal idea and hard work, some of which he may soon be able to... Read More

Tracked on February 28, 2006 10:38 AM
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7 Comments:
Sascha
February 27, 2006

Forgive me my not-very-attentive reading, you mentioned it already above. I wonder where man's (or just the technologist's) apparent need to replace himself is coming from, though. Do we want her to sit on the information counter or do we just want to know if it's feasible? At least it's not gonna happen as long as the cheapest human worker is still cheaper than the cheapest robot.
konomi aka manekineko
February 27, 2006

thanks for the link etc., Sascha. I really wanna see/touch the real android. Ishiguro-sensei's working on skin sensors too, I think.
Jose
February 27, 2006

Skin sensors?

Are they looking to make android servants "willing" to perform acts and services that people find dehumanizing? Or that the client finds embarassing?

In the realm of the senses, indeed.

As for: "I will not need to come here again...I will send my android instead," I would love for the conference organizers to say: "You know what, if it's really such a hassle for you, just don't come back. It's OK."
chrissy d.
February 28, 2006

can my face/body be the model used for the mass production? i really think it should look just like me...ha haaa...yeah, talk about surplus inventory sale. seriously, janet jackson android. i pay big money.
konomi aka manekineko
February 28, 2006

I wonder if androids might find a niche between videoconferencing and physical presence. The cost would be an issue and if the answer is mass production, who'd be THE model???

Hawkscry
February 28, 2006

Excellent point! Or would companies bring out a personalisation sheme in whihc people can choose hair, eye and skin colour? You could create your dream partner!

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