Robot Ishiguro

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro & HI-4. ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories, Kyoto, Japan

Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror and that reflection then taking on a reality of its own that mirrors your own, and setting off to represent you all over the world. This is what Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro had in mind when he created his HI-2 and, later, his H-4 geminoids: these geminoids are life-size robotic replicas of himself. He created these geminoids to travel to distant conferences on his behalf, so that, from the comfort of his home or office, he could speak and perform through them to deliver lectures and give public presentations. A geminoid, together with its human twin brother or sister, provides the perfect testing ground for exploring the question that has inspired scientists and philosophers throughout the centuries: what does it mean to be human?

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