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Hiroshi Ishiguro
Hiroshi Ishiguro
Hiroshi Ishiguro
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Hiroshi Ishiguro (石黒浩, Ishiguro Hiroshi; born 23 October 1963) is a Japanese roboticist and engineer. He is the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, part of the Department of Systems Innovation in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University, Japan. A notable development of the laboratory is the Actroid, a humanoid robot with lifelike appearance and visible behaviour such as facial movements.

Key Information

Early life and education

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Hiroshi was born in Shiga, Kansai, on 23 October 1963. In his youth he loved oil painting and wanted to become an artist. Instead, he studied computer science at University of Yamanashi and later engineering at Graduate School of Engineering Science of Osaka University.[1]

Robotics career

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Ishiguro in 2011

In robot development, Ishiguro concentrates on the idea of making a robot that is as similar as possible to a living human being. At the unveiling in July 2005 of the gynoid Repliee Q1Expo (in the cybernetic world, the term for female android, gynoid, from ancient Greek "gyne", that is woman) he was quoted as saying, "I have developed many robots before, but I soon realised the importance of its appearance. A human-like appearance gives a robot a strong feeling of presence. ... Repliee Q1Expo can interact with people. It can respond to people touching it. It's very satisfying, although we obviously have a long way to go yet."[2] In his opinion, it may be possible to build an android that is indistinguishable from a human, at least during a brief encounter.

Ishiguro has made an android that resembles him, called the Geminoid. The Geminoid was among the robots featured by James May in his 5 October 2008 BBC2 documentary on robots Man-Machine in May's series Big Ideas. He also introduced a telecommunication robot called the Telenoid R1. Hiroshi also uses the android to teach his classes at Osaka University of Japan and likes to scare his students by making Geminoid do human-like movements like blinking, "breathing" and fidgeting with his hands. Ishiguro has been listed, in 2011, as one of the 15 Asian Scientists to Watch by Asian Scientist Magazine.[3] In 2018, Ishiguro was interviewed interacting with one of his robots for the documentary on artificial intelligence Do You Trust This Computer?

Ishiguro and other roboticists from Osaka University designed the Buddhist android preacher Mindar in collaboration with staff from the Kōdai-ji temple.[4]

Career timeline

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He graduated the University of Yamanashi in 1986 and he graduate from the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University in 1991.

Awards

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  • 2011 Osaka Culture Prize
  • Prize for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), April 2015
  • Best paper award at the 4th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2009), March 2009
  • Best paper and poster awards at the 2nd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2007), March 2007
  • Best Humanoid Award (Kid size) at RoboCup 2006 (Bremen, Germany)

Publications

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Publications

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  • Hornyak, Tim (2006). "Android Science" (PDF). Scientific American. 294 (5): 32–34. Bibcode:2006SciAm.294e..32H. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0506-32. PMID 16708485.
  • Kanda, Takayuki; Ishiguro, Hiroshi (2012). Human-Robot Interaction in Social Robotics. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1466506978.
  • Ishiguro, Hiroshi (2020). How Human Is Human? The View from Robotics Research. Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture.

Papers

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  • "Publications". Intelligent Robotics Laboratory (IRL). Osaka University.

Film appearances

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  • Mechanical Love (2007) Ishiguro and his work forms a major component of this documentary on the interrelationship between humans and robots.
  • Surrogates (2009) During the opening montage showing the development of the surrogates, there appears footage of Ishiguro and his Geminoid.
  • Plug & Pray (2010) Ishiguro is one of the scientists featured in the film
  • Samsara (2011)
  • Robolove (2019) Documentary on the strategies of men and women involved with the creation of humanoid, android robots

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Hiroshi Ishiguro

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Hiroshi Ishiguro is a Japanese roboticist and at the Graduate School of Engineering Science of , where he leads research on interactive robots and android science. He is also an ATR Fellow and the founder of the Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), focusing on human-like robots that integrate seamlessly into social environments. Ishiguro earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from the University of Yamanashi in 1986 and 1988, respectively, followed by a D.Eng. in systems engineering from Osaka University in 1991. His academic career began as a research assistant at Yamanashi University from 1991 to 1992, after which he served as an assistant professor at Osaka University (1992–1994) and Kyoto University (1994–1998). He conducted research as a visiting scholar at the University of California, San Diego, from 1998 to 1999, and joined ATR in various roles starting in 1999. Ishiguro advanced to associate professor at Wakayama University (2000–2002) before returning to Osaka University as a professor in 2002, becoming a full professor in 2009; he has remained there since. His research emphasizes androids and humanoids that mimic human appearance and behavior to study human cognition, communication, and social dynamics, pioneering the field of "Android Science" through interdisciplinary integration of robotics, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Notable creations include the Geminoid series—teleoperated androids resembling humans, such as one modeled after himself for remote presence and interaction studies—and the Telenoid and Elfoid, minimalistic communication robots designed for empathetic human-robot dialogue. Other key developments encompass Repliee androids for lifelike social experiments, Robovie interactive humanoids, and ERICA, an advanced conversational android used in applications like therapy and public engagement. Ishiguro's work extends to perceptual information infrastructure, distributed vision systems, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques, with over 1,300 peer-reviewed publications in venues such as IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence and Robotics Research. Ishiguro's contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Prize for Science and Technology (Research Category) from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2015, the Tateisi Prize Grand Award from the Tateisi Science and Technology Foundation, and the in 2015. He received the in 2011 and 2018, a in 2008 for the most realistic android, and an Honorary Doctorate from in 2021. More recently, he served as the producer of the "Future of Life" Signature Pavilion at , Kansai, , showcasing ' role in society. Through these efforts, Ishiguro continues to advance understanding of essence via , influencing fields from healthcare to entertainment.

Biography

Early life

Hiroshi Ishiguro was born on 23 October 1963 in , in the of . Raised in the rural town of Adogawa near , at the foot of the Hira Mountains, Ishiguro experienced a childhood immersed in . His parents, both schoolteachers, were frequently occupied with work, leaving him primarily in the care of his grandparents; his maternal grandfather, a farmer and devout Buddhist, taught him traditional Japanese customs and values that emphasized harmony with the environment. This setting nurtured his innate curiosity, as he explored the surrounding landscapes, collected insects, and innovated by modifying them with metal components to form rudimentary "cyborgs," blending organic life with mechanical elements in ways that foreshadowed his lifelong interest in technology. In his youth, Ishiguro discovered a profound passion for , which captivated him and often diverted his attention from formal schooling. This artistic endeavor awakened a keen interest in capturing human expression and emotion on canvas, an influence that would later shape his approach to by prioritizing aesthetic and behavioral realism in android design to evoke authentic human interactions.

Education

Ishiguro completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Yamanashi, earning a from the Faculty of in 1986, with a focus on . He continued at the same institution for graduate work, obtaining a from the Graduate School of in 1988. In 1988, Ishiguro began doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Engineering Science, , under the supervision of Professor Saburo Tsuji. He received his (DEng) in in 1991. During his time at , Ishiguro's initial research centered on active vision and omnidirectional panoramic vision systems, aimed at enabling robot navigation and localization. These efforts in established key foundations for his subsequent advancements in intelligent . Despite his early passion for , which persisted through high school and university, Ishiguro channeled his creative inclinations into technical innovation.

Professional career

Academic positions

Following his graduation with a D.Eng. in from in 1991, Hiroshi Ishiguro began his academic career as a in the Department of and at Yamanashi University, serving from 1991 to 1992. He then served as an in the Department of at from 1992 to 1994. Ishiguro advanced to associate professor in the Department of Information Science at Kyoto University from 1994 to 2000. During this period, he served as a visiting scholar in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, from 1998 to 1999. In 1999, he joined the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) as a visiting researcher in the Media Information Science Laboratories. He then served as associate professor (2000–2001) and professor (2001–2002) in the Department of Computer and Communication Sciences at Wakayama University. He progressed to professor in the Department of Adaptive Machine Systems at Osaka University from 2002 to 2009, and since 2009, he has held the position of professor in the Department of Systems Innovation in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University. As of 2025, he continues as Distinguished Professor in this department. In addition to his university roles, Ishiguro has held visiting and leadership positions at the Advanced Telecommunications International (ATR), including Group Leader of the ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories from 2002 to 2013 and Visiting Director since 2014; he was appointed ATR Fellow in 2010. He also serves as Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at .

Laboratory leadership

Hiroshi Ishiguro established and has directed the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory (IRL) within the Department of Systems Innovation at University's Graduate School of Science since , following his appointment as there. The laboratory serves as a hub for advanced research under his leadership, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches that blend with behavioral sciences. The IRL concentrates on developing robotic systems that facilitate seamless human-robot interactions, drawing on fields like , , and distributed sensor networks to create intuitive interfaces for environments. The team comprises Ishiguro as distinguished professor, one assistant professor (Takahisa Uchida), several postdoctoral researchers, and around a dozen doctoral and master's students from diverse backgrounds, fostering a collaborative environment for . Funding primarily stems from Japanese government initiatives, including Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) scholarships for international students and the Japan Science and Technology Agency's (JST) Moonshot Research and Development Program, which supports ambitious projects in symbiotic human-AI systems. Under Ishiguro's direction, the lab has expanded its scope through international partnerships, notably the EU-Japan e-VITA project for virtual coaching in aging societies (involving European institutions like those in and ) and collaborations with Asian universities such as on global competence in by 2025. These efforts have enabled cross-continental exchanges of expertise and resources, enhancing the lab's global impact. Under his leadership, the IRL has produced notable androids like the Geminoid series, exemplifying advancements in technology.

Career milestones

Ishiguro's early career in transitioned toward in the 1990s, driven by his growing interest in human-like robot forms for improved communication, beginning with work on distributed vision systems at institutions like . In 1999, he joined ATR Media Laboratories as a visiting researcher, where he led the development of interactive robots such as Robovie, marking a pivotal shift to advanced research at ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories. A major milestone came in 2003 with the launch of the Repliee series, including the unveiling of the Actroid DER 01 at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, which introduced highly realistic androids powered by air actuators to explore human-robot interaction. The more advanced Repliee Q1 was unveiled in 2005 at Expo 2005 Aichi. In 2020, Ishiguro received the Tateisi Prize Grand Award from the Tateisi Science and Technology Foundation for his groundbreaking contributions to robotics, particularly in android development and human-like machine interfaces. In 2025, Ishiguro participated as a panellist in the Dialogue Tokyo on "The Future of Life," discussing the implications of humanoid robotics alongside Nobel laureates and experts on human identity and technological coexistence. Later that year, he delivered a keynote address titled "Avatar and the Future Society" at SEMICON 2025, examining the societal impacts of humanoid robotics, including their potential to reshape industries and daily life through advanced avatars. That same year, Ishiguro spearheaded the "Amplification of Lives" project as thematic producer for the "Future of Life" signature pavilion at , Kansai, , envisioning a future of robot-human coexistence where avatars enable expanded social roles and symbiotic societies.

Research contributions

Humanoid and android development

Hiroshi Ishiguro initiated pioneering research on androids in the early 2000s, focusing on creating lifelike robots that closely mimic human appearance and behavior to explore human-robot interaction. His work emphasized the development of realistic silicone skin, subtle facial expressions, and fluid body movements to achieve a high degree of visual and behavioral similarity to s. These efforts marked a shift in toward androids designed not just for functionality but for seamless integration into social environments. A key milestone in this research was the series, first unveiled in 2003 at the International Robot Exhibition in , in collaboration with Company Ltd. The series introduced advanced androids with lifelike features, including pneumatic actuators for natural motion and integrated sensors for responsive interactions. The Repliee Q1Expo, debuted in 2005 and modeled after a Japanese broadcaster, exemplified these innovations with flexible silicone skin covering its upper body and 42 enabled by air actuators, allowing for realistic facial expressions and gestures. This model also incorporated tactile sensors, cameras, and microphones to detect and respond to human touches and verbal cues, enhancing its interactive capabilities. Technical advancements in Ishiguro's androids included robust remote systems, enabling operators to control the robots' movements in real-time for applications like public demonstrations and . Sensor integration further allowed for human-like responses, such as synchronized breathing and , bridging the gap between mechanical and organic interaction. By the 2010s, these designs evolved to incorporate , particularly in models like ERICA, a 2015 android platform developed for autonomous natural conversation through and dialogue generation. This progression enabled androids to engage in extended, context-aware interactions, advancing the field toward more independent humanoid systems. Such developments, including brief explorations in personalized replicas like the Geminoid series, underscored Ishiguro's influence on realistic humanoid robotics.

Teleoperated robotics

Hiroshi Ishiguro initiated research on tele-operated robots around 2000, with the primary aim of extending human presence through robotic avatars that allow operators to interact remotely as if physically present. This work sought to bridge geographical distances by creating systems where humans could project their embodiment into remote environments, laying the foundation for interactive that mimic natural . Ishiguro's team developed systems enabling real-time control of androids using technology to replicate the operator's body movements and voice synthesis or transmission to synchronize speech and lip motions. These systems capture the operator's gestures via sensors and map them onto the robot's actuators, while audio processing ensures the android's facial expressions align with spoken words, achieving lifelike interactions with minimal perceptible delay in controlled settings. Early prototypes, such as initial Geminoid models in the mid-2000s, integrated these elements to demonstrate seamless operator-robot synchronization. Applications of these teleoperated systems span , , and remote communication, with prototypes from the early showcasing their potential in social scenarios. In educational contexts, androids like the Telenoid facilitated among schoolchildren by enabling remote instructors to guide group activities, promoting and interaction with diverse age groups. For , particularly with individuals on the autism spectrum, teleoperated robots improved sociability and facial expressivity through guided interactions that encouraged polite communication and emotional recognition. In remote communication, these systems supported intergenerational dialogues, allowing operators to convey presence and across distances, as tested in field studies during the . By 2025, Ishiguro's research featured teleoperated technologies in the "Future of Life" Signature Pavilion at , demonstrating their role in supporting remote presence and social interactions in global and multicultural settings. Such teleoperated technologies integrate with designs to enhance embodiment, allowing operators to navigate complex social environments remotely.

Android science and philosophy

Hiroshi Ishiguro introduced the concept of "android science" in the mid-2000s as an interdisciplinary field that leverages lifelike android robots to investigate human cognition and social interaction. He proposed this framework during a 2004 workshop on human-robot interaction, emphasizing the integration of robotics engineering with to create and study androids that mimic human appearance and behavior. By building highly realistic androids, Ishiguro aimed to provide empirical tools for testing hypotheses about human perception and response mechanisms that are difficult to isolate in purely human studies. Central to android science are the ideas that such robots serve as experimental platforms for exploring theories of presence, , and . Ishiguro argued that androids' humanlike appearances evoke human responses, such as treating them as social entities despite conscious awareness of their artificiality. In a 2005 analysis, he highlighted how subtle micro-movements in androids enhance perceived presence, reducing the "" effect and eliciting empathetic reactions akin to those in human interactions, as demonstrated in experiments where subjects shifted patterns when "lying" to the android. These findings underscore androids' role in probing the boundaries of , where unconscious persist even when the robot's nature is known. Ishiguro's publications and talks have increasingly addressed the ethical implications of androids, including potential robot and their societal integration. In a 2023 paper on ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in avatar-symbiotic societies, he discussed the need to consider moral responsibilities as avatars become extensions of presence in daily . By 2025, in interviews, he advocated for interdisciplinary ethical frameworks to ensure androids' "desires" align with societal benefit, warning against harmful autonomy while promoting their use in healthcare and to foster inclusion. He has suggested that as humans accept androids as companions, proportionate —such as protections against destruction—may emerge to reflect their role in society. Ishiguro's work has influenced by using androids to interrogate essence and blur -robot boundaries. He posits that creating such robots inspires deeper understanding of undefined concepts like and , serving as mirrors for complexity. In a 2022 interview, Ishiguro stated, "I think the blurring of the boundaries between and robots is a good thing... we can say that have evolved through ," envisioning harmonious coexistence with a "new species" of integrated entities. This perspective challenges traditional notions of , prompting philosophical debates on and identity in human-robot interactions.

Notable projects

Geminoid series

The Geminoid series represents Hiroshi Ishiguro's pioneering work in developing teleoperated androids designed as realistic replicas of specific individuals, enabling remote presence and human-like interaction. Initiated in collaboration with the firm Kokoro Co., Ltd. and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), the series focuses on androids that mimic the appearance, movements, and expressions of their human models to explore and human-robot interaction. These robots utilize and actuation systems to achieve , serving as platforms for both practical applications and scientific inquiry. The inaugural model, Geminoid HI-1, was unveiled in as a life-sized android modeled directly after Ishiguro himself, measuring approximately 140 cm (4 feet 7 inches) tall in a sitting posture and weighing 60 kg (132 pounds). It is designed to remain seated, with legs capable only of subtle micro-movements. Constructed with skin for a lifelike texture, 50 pneumatic actuators for subtle facial and upper-body movements, and even incorporating hair from Ishiguro's own scalp, HI-1 was designed for remote operation via motion-capture interfaces that replicate the operator's gestures, speech, and expressions in real time. This teleoperated system allowed Ishiguro to project his presence into distant locations, marking a significant advancement in android realism at the time. Subsequent iterations built on HI-1's foundation, enhancing realism, mobility, and expressiveness. Geminoid F, introduced in 2009, was the first female version, modeled after a Japanese woman and featuring 12 primarily in the head and upper body for more fluid facial animations, such as smiling and frowning, to improve emotional conveyance during . In 2010, Geminoid DK was developed in partnership with , replicating Danish professor Henrik Scharfe with upgrades including smoother involuntary movements like breathing and eye blinks, as well as increased upper-body mobility for gestures, making it suitable for dynamic interactions. These advancements addressed limitations in earlier models, such as restricted motion range, to better approximate human presence. The Geminoid series has been applied in remote lecturing, where androids like Geminoid DK deliver university classes and engage with students via , demonstrating effective surrogate teaching without the operator's physical attendance. Additionally, the robots have facilitated psychological studies on the effect, with experiments using Geminoid HI-1 revealing how subtle mismatches in movement and appearance influence human perceptions of eeriness and likability in real-world settings. By 2024, the series culminated in Geminoid HI-6, Ishiguro's sixth self-replica, which incorporates refined with enhanced interactive capabilities for delivering speeches, answering audience questions, and integrating preliminary AI elements to support more autonomous responses and natural dialogue flow.

Other androids and applications

Ishiguro's Telenoid R1, introduced in 2010, is a minimalistic teleoperated android designed to facilitate empathetic communication by mimicking the operator's facial expressions and upper-body movements while transmitting voice in real time. Its gender-neutral, huggable form emphasizes emotional presence over detailed , allowing remote interaction that feels intimate despite physical distance. The ERICA project, launched in 2015 as a collaboration between and researchers including Ishiguro, developed an autonomous conversational android platform focused on natural human-like dialogue through advanced , , and emotional expression. ERICA serves as a research tool for studying human-robot interaction, with applications in reception settings where it engages visitors in open-ended conversations, responds to queries, and maintains to build . In 2019, Ishiguro collaborated with Kodaiji Temple in to create Mindar, an android modeled after the Buddhist deity Kannon, which delivers sermons on the using synchronized projections, gestures, and a calm voice to convey teachings on compassion and impermanence. The 1.95-meter-tall interacts with visitors by answering questions on Buddhist principles, fostering a of spiritual connection that evolves from initial perceptions of it as mechanical to divine. By 2023, Mindar continued to deliver sermons and engage visitors at the temple, helping to spread Buddhist teachings. Beyond these, Ishiguro's androids have found applications in museums, , and public installations to explore human-robot coexistence. In 2014, models such as Otonaroid and Kodomoroid were deployed at Tokyo's Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and as interactive guides, demonstrating how androids can narrate exhibits and respond to questions to enhance educational engagement. In therapeutic contexts, the Telenoid has been tested in elder care facilities, where it supports communication for individuals with by eliciting positive responses and reducing isolation through remote family interactions. Public installations culminated in the 2025 Expo Osaka's Future of Life pavilion, directed by Ishiguro under the theme "Amplification of Lives," featuring multiple androids in immersive exhibits that simulate extended human capabilities through , such as remote presence and emotional amplification. These uses highlight androids' potential to augment social and empathetic interactions in everyday environments.

Recognition and media

Awards and honors

Ishiguro's pioneering work in android and robotics has earned him numerous accolades from academic and scientific institutions. Early recognitions include best poster awards at the ACM/IEEE International on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). In 2007, he co-authored the winning poster "Speed Adaptation for a Robot Walking with a Human," presented by Takayuki Kanda and colleagues from the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR). In 2009, another paper from his ATR team received the best paper award, highlighting advancements in human-robot interaction studies. Additionally, in 2006, his Team Osaka secured the Best Award (Kid Size) at the RoboCup competition in , , for their innovative design. In 2008, Ishiguro received a World Record for creating the world's most realistic android. In 2011, he was honored with the Culture Prize for his significant contributions to android and its cultural impact in the region, as well as the in the Digital Community category. In 2015, Ishiguro received the Prize for Science and Technology (Research Category) from Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), acknowledging his groundbreaking research in interactive and android science, along with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award. In 2018, he received the Prix in the u19 – Create Your World category for his contributions to android science. In 2020, Ishiguro was awarded the Tateisi Prize Grand Award by the Tateisi Science and Technology Foundation for his innovative research in , particularly in creating human-like androids that advance understanding of human cognition and interaction. In 2021, he received an Honorary Doctorate from . More recently, in 2025, Ishiguro was invited as a panelist to the Dialogue in , where he discussed themes of humanity and alongside Nobel laureates, underscoring his global influence in .

Film and public appearances

Hiroshi Ishiguro has appeared in several documentaries exploring human-robot interactions and the future of android . In the 2007 Mechanical Love, directed by Phie Ambo, Ishiguro is featured discussing his work on lifelike androids and their implications for human relationships, with scenes filmed in showcasing his laboratory and prototypes. The 2010 documentary Plug & Pray, directed by Jens Schanze, includes interviews with Ishiguro alongside other experts like Kurzweil, examining the ethical challenges of developing intelligent robots that mimic . Similarly, the 2019 Robolove, directed by Maria Arlamovsky, profiles Ishiguro as a key figure in , reflecting on the strategies behind creating androids that could extend capabilities. Ishiguro has also contributed to feature films through consulting and archival footage. In the 2009 science fiction thriller Surrogates, directed by Jonathan Mostow, opening montage sequences incorporate real footage of Ishiguro and his Geminoid android, illustrating the evolution of remote-controlled human-like proxies central to the film's plot. The 2011 non-narrative documentary Samsara, directed by Ron Fricke, features Ishiguro alongside his robotic clone in a segment on technological advancements, juxtaposed with global cultural imagery to contemplate human existence and innovation. Ishiguro frequently engages in public talks and exhibitions to discuss the societal impact of . At SEMICON 2025, he delivered a address titled "Avatar and the Future Society," exploring how humanoid robots and teleoperated avatars could reshape social structures and daily life. He also served as the producer of the "Future of Life" signature pavilion for , Kansai, —a installation envisioning expanded human potential through , as highlighted in discussions by , which examined its implications for human identity and coexistence with machines. In media interviews, Ishiguro has addressed the "" phenomenon, where near-humanlike robots evoke discomfort. In a 2006 interview, he expressed concern about it, noting that his daughter cried upon seeing her android replica, underscoring the emotional challenges in android design. These discussions often reference his Geminoid series, which has been featured in media to exemplify boundary-blurring technologies.

Publications

Books and monographs

Hiroshi Ishiguro has authored and co-authored several books and monographs that explore the intersections of , android , and human-robot interaction, often drawing from his pioneering work in creating androids. These works emphasize philosophical inquiries into humanity, , and the societal implications of advanced , bridging technical insights with broader conceptual discussions. One of his early monographs, Robotto wa nani ka? Hito no kokoro o utsusu kagami (What is a Robot? A Mirror that Reflects the Heart of Human), published in 2009 by , delves into the role of as reflections of human emotions and society. In this book, Ishiguro argues that robots serve as tools to probe human psychology, using examples from his android projects to illustrate how mechanical replicas challenge perceptions of identity and interaction. In 2012, Ishiguro co-authored Human-Robot Interaction in Social Robotics with Takayuki Kanda, published by . This monograph provides a comprehensive framework for designing robots that integrate seamlessly into social environments, covering topics such as behavior recognition, spatial arrangement, and long-term interaction studies based on field experiments with interactive robots like Robovie. It highlights practical methodologies for enhancing natural human-robot communication, drawing on empirical data from public settings. Ishiguro's 2014 book Dō sureba "hito" o tsukureru ka: Andoroido ni manabu ningen no honshitsu (How Can We Create a "Person"? Learning the Essence of Humans from Androids), published by , examines the creation of androids as a means to understand essence. Through narratives of his episodes, including the development of Geminoid androids, he explores themes of appearance, movement, and interaction in defining humanness, influencing discussions in . The English translation, How Human Is Human?: The View from Robotics Research, was released in 2020 by the Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture. As editor, Ishiguro contributed to the 2018 monograph Geminoid Studies: Science and Technologies for Humanlike Teleoperated Androids, published by Springer, compiling interdisciplinary research on teleoperated androids. This work details technical aspects of the Geminoid series, including systems and perceptual studies, while addressing philosophical questions about presence and identity in human-android . More recently, in 2025, Ishiguro authored Inochi no mirai 2075: Ningen wa robotto ni nari, robotto wa ningen ni naru (The Future of Life 2075: Humans Become Robots, and Robots Become Humans), published by Nikkei BP. This forward-looking book envisions a symbiotic future where cybernetic avatars and androids transcend biological limitations, discussing ethical, technological, and societal transformations based on ongoing projects like the ERICA android. These publications, often available in both Japanese and English editions, underscore Ishiguro's emphasis on androids as scientific instruments for philosophical inquiry, with themes recurring across his body of work on human-like .

Scientific papers

Hiroshi Ishiguro has authored or co-authored over 1,300 peer-reviewed scientific papers, primarily in journals and conferences focused on human-robot interaction (HRI), distributed sensor networks, android science, , and . His work emphasizes the development of robots and their societal integration, with publications appearing in venues such as IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Interaction Studies, and ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). As of 2025, Ishiguro's profile reports 41,334 total citations, an of 102, and an i10-index of 616, underscoring his substantial influence in the field. Among his seminal contributions are papers on the Geminoid series, which introduced teleoperated androids resembling real individuals to explore remote presence and -like interaction. A foundational work, "Geminoid: Teleoperated Android of an Existing Person" (2007), detailed the system's design for synchronizing a robot's movements and expressions with a operator via , enabling studies on embodiment and ; it has been cited over 300 times and laid the groundwork for subsequent android research. Related publications from 2006–2010, including those on real-time teleoperation interfaces and effects in Geminoid HI-1, advanced HRI by demonstrating how androids could elicit natural responses in experimental settings. Ishiguro's group received best paper awards at HRI conferences for this era: in 2007 for "Speed Adaptation for a Robot Walking with a " (co-authored with Takayuki Kanda and Norihiro Hagita), which evaluated androids' role in social experiments, and in 2009, highlighting adaptive nonverbal cues in - dialogues. Ishiguro's recent publications (2020–2025) increasingly integrate AI into systems, focusing on multimodal , , and symbiotic human-AI societies. For instance, "Investigation of the Conditions for Continuous Information Transmission Using Androids" (2025) examines bandwidth requirements for real-time android control in remote communication, building on Geminoid architectures to support AI-driven . Other works, such as "Symbiotic with Avatars (SSA): Toward Empowering Social Interactions Beyond Physical Limitations" (2023), propose AI-enhanced avatars for overcoming mobility constraints, with applications in and ; these have garnered citations in AI discussions. Full lists of his publications, including these recent AI- integrations, are accessible via the Intelligent Laboratory website at .

References

  1. https://rd.iai.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/24a1d16ea53231e2.html
  2. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/guide/honors/odp
  3. http://www.geminoid.jp/en/index.html
  4. https://www.ieee-ras.org/roboticshistory/roboticist-detail/roboticistprofile.html?profileid=57
  5. https://ethw.org/Oral-History:Hiroshi_Ishiguro
  6. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2015/04/20150408_01
  7. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2025/05/01002
  8. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2025/10/06002
  9. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3167841/
  10. http://en.tedxseeds.org/Speaker/hiroshi-ishiguro/
  11. https://www.wired.com/2017/10/hiroshi-ishiguro-when-robots-act-just-like-humans/
  12. https://makerfairerome.eu/en/blog/hiroshi-ishiguro-and-the-robot-in-his-image-and-likeness/
  13. https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/en/detail?JGLOBAL_ID=200901077549113843
  14. https://www.nobelprize.org/events/nobel-prize-dialogue/tokyo-2025/panellists/hiroshi-ishiguro/
  15. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37274136400
  16. https://eng.irl.sys.es.osaka-u.ac.jp/members/staff
  17. https://www.atr.jp/prize/fellow_e.html
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