Japanese inventor creates robot replica of himself

Inventor Hiroshi Ishiguro has created six robot copies of himself, capable of copying human expressions and even teaching and communicating with students.

Inventor Hiroshi Ishiguro introduces the Geminoid HI-6 robot. (Video: CNBC)

Hiroshi Ishiguro has created six robot replicas over the past 18 years. The latest robot, Geminoid HI-6 , bears a striking resemblance to him and can be controlled remotely, Interesting Engineering reported on October 27. Interestingly, it can easily copy Ishiguro's facial expressions.

Geminoid HI-6 is on display at Osaka University. The robot replica not only teaches but also answers questions from students. Ishiguro said the robot has a large language model, 10 books, and almost 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 answer questions from listeners ," he said.

The robot's skin is made of silicone, giving it the feel of human skin. It can't walk yet, though it's expected to become bipedal in the near future. Geminoid HI-6's voice doesn't exactly sound like Ishiguro's, but rather sounds like a grown man's with a strange intonation.

 The robot is equipped with 16 pneumatic actuators and an external power source.

Ishiguro's main goal is to make robots look as human as possible. He and his colleagues are pursuing a future where interacting with humanoid robots becomes commonplace. Ishiguro previously introduced a receptionist robot called Erica, which can be controlled remotely or interact with visitors automatically.

The robot has a total of 53 degrees of freedom - the number of joints a robot has and the range of motion it can perform. It is capable of replicating many human behaviors, mainly upper body movements and facial expressions. It even answers questions about human presence, whether humans can reach remote locations, and whether robots can surpass humans through testing.

Measuring 50 centimeters tall and 25 centimeters wide, the robot is equipped with 16 pneumatic actuators and an external power source. According to Ishiguro's lab, the robot has a plastic head and a metal skeleton.

Ishiguro uses Geminoid robots to study humans, aiming to apply methods from engineering, cognitive science, and neuroscience to explore a variety of research topics. In addition, through remote control systems, he also studies how people who talk to robots and their operators are affected.