Hiroshi Ishiguro

Hiroshi Ishiguro

• A leading robotics expert and AI expert
• Professor of the Department of Systems Innovation at the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University
• Recipient of the Tateisi Prize and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award

Hiroshi Ishiguro, a pioneering Japanese robotics engineer, is redefining the future of humanoid robots and artificial intelligence. As CEO of Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories and director of Osaka University’s Intelligence Robotics Laboratory, he specializes in androids, AI, and human-robot interaction. He is known for creating lifelike humanoids that resemble beings and machines. His androids have redefined our relationship with technology.

After studying computer science as an undergraduate at the University of Yamanashi, he received a D.Eng. in Systems Engineering from Osaka University. In 1994, he moved to the Department of Systems Engineering at Osaka University and became an Associate Professor at Kyoto University’s Department of Information Science.

Hiroshi Ishiguro counts a stint at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, a stint as a visiting researcher at ATR Media Information Science Laboratories, and his transfer to the Department of Computer and Communication Sciences as an associate professor at Wakayama University. His current position sees him as a professor of the Department of Systems Innovation in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University, group leader of the Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory at ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories, and an ATR fellow.

Hiroshi Ishiguro’s current areas of interest include android robots, perceptual information infrastructure, and interactive robots. In 2006, Japanese engineer Hiroshi Ishiguro shocked the world by creating an android copy of himself called Geminoid HI-1. The robot’s resemblance to Ishiguro is undeniable. It mimics his facial features and expressions and has real human hair and silicone skin to achieve a human feel.

However, Ishiguro does not exclusively create robot replicas of himself. He has also developed toy robots and robot installations. His first humanoid robot was a replica of his daughter. He has contributed to various literature outlets in his field and has published over 300 papers and articles on the subject. His work has appeared in publications such as Robotics Research and IEEE PAMI. Much of his work involves developing his humanoids and androids, such as Geminoid, Elfoid, Robovie, Telenoid, and Repliee.

His work in robotics has earned him the Tateisi Prize and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award. He frequently appears on Japanese television.

Hiroshi Ishiguro – Keynote Speaker

When delivering his talks, Hiroshi Ishiguro often has Geminoid, his android doppelganger, on stage. During his unforgettable keynotes, the speaker wishes to celebrate the future of robotics and human-machine interactions. He lives in Japan and presents in Japanese and English.

Speaking Topics

• Human understanding from a robotics or engineering point of view
• Analytic approaches to human understanding
• Cognitive science and neuroscience