Inventor Hiroshi Ishiguro has created six robot replicas of himself that are capable of mimicking human expressions, teaching, and interacting with students.
Inventor Hiroshi Ishiguro introduces the Geminoid HI-6 robot. (Video: CNBC)
The six robot replicas created by Hiroshi Ishiguro over the past 18 years include the latest model, Geminoid HI-6, which closely resembles him and can be controlled remotely, as reported by Interesting Engineering on October 27. Notably, it can easily replicate Ishiguro’s facial expressions.
Geminoid HI-6 is currently on display at Osaka University. This robot replica not only teaches but also answers questions from students. Ishiguro mentioned that the robot integrates a large language model along with ten of his books and nearly all of his media interviews.
“The main feature of this version is conversation. Initially, I used the robot to teach when I was too busy. But now, after many lectures, Geminoid HI-6 can respond to questions from the audience,” he said.
The robot’s skin is made of silicone, providing a texture similar to human skin. Although it currently cannot walk, it is expected to operate using a bipedal mechanism in the near future. The voice of Geminoid HI-6 does not completely resemble Ishiguro’s; instead, it sounds like that of an adult man with a peculiar tone.
Robot equipped with 16 pneumatic actuators and an external power supply.
Ishiguro’s main goal is to make the robot look as human-like as possible. He and his colleagues are pursuing a future where interacting with humanoid robots becomes commonplace. Previously, Ishiguro introduced a receptionist robot named Erica, which can be controlled remotely or autonomously interact with visitors.
The robot has a total of 53 degrees of freedom – the number of joints of the robot and the range of motion it can perform. It is capable of reproducing many human behaviors, primarily upper body movements and facial expressions. It can even answer questions about human presence, whether humans can reach distant places, and if robots can surpass humans through testing.
With a height of 50 cm and a width of 25 cm, the robot is equipped with 16 pneumatic actuators and an external power supply. According to Ishiguro’s laboratory, the robot has a plastic head and a metal skeletal frame.
Ishiguro uses the Geminoid robots to study humans, aiming to apply methods from engineering, cognitive science, and neuroscience to explore various research topics. Additionally, through a remote control system, he also investigates how people interact with robots and how both the interlocutor and the operator are influenced.
