Abstract
We, humans, have innate brain function to recognize humans. Therefore, very humanlike robots, androids, can be ideal information media for human-robot/computer interaction. The speaker has developed various types of interactive robots and androids.
Geminoid that is a teleoperated android of an existing person can transmit the presence of the operator to the distant place. The operator recognizes the android body as his/her own body after talking with someone through the geminoid and has virtual feeling to be touched when someone touches to the geminoid.
However, the geminoid is not the ideal medium for everybody. For example, elderly people often hesitate to talk with adult humans and the adult androids. A question is what the ideal medium for everybody is. In order to investigate it, the speaker proposes the minimum design of interactive humanoids. It is called Telenoid. The geminoid is the perfect copy of an existing person and it is the maximum design of interactive humanoids. On the other hand, the minimum design looks like a human but we cannot judge the age and gender. Elderly people like to talk with the Telenoid very much. In this talk, the speaker discusses the design principles for the robots and their effects to conversations with humans.