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Germany and Japan have been cooperating successfully in the field of robotics for some time because there is potential for similar fields of application in both countries. In countries with aging and shrinking societies like in Germany and Japan automatic systems or machines like robots might provide support for humans in life, education and work. Therefore, in both countries automatization of the industry as well as robot technologies and digital tools for schools or hospitals are being developed.

However, there are also differences in the approaches and implementation of new technologies in both countries. At a workshop of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and German Centre for Research and Innovation Tokyo (DWIH Tokyo) four speakers from Germany and two from Japan introduced aspects of relationships of humans with machines.

The workshop was supported by the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan), Beyond Next Ventures and artience. After the workshop the group of speakers visited the Honda Research Institute.

A selection of the keynote presentations is now available on the Youtube channel of the DWIH Tokyo.

• Keynote Dr. Jiré Emine Gözen “Caring companions, uncontrollable minds and racialized machines: conceptualizations of the relationship between humans, machines and AI(externer Link)“
• Keynote Dr. Celia Spoden “Preventing social isolation: Avatar robots as alter ego for hospitalized students(externer Link)”
• Keynote Dr. Andreas Stiegler „Challenges and best practices of building consistent autonomous characters(externer Link)”
• Keynote Dr. Gentiane Venture “Beyond Human: Expressive Movement in Robotics(externer Link)“

Further Information on the workshop and the speakers:

• Relationship in Human-Machine Interaction | DWIH Tokyo(externer Link)

The study that was introduced in Dr. Celia Spoden’s keynote is now published and available via the following link.

• Spoden, Celia and Ema, Arisa (2024). Staying connected: implementing avatar robots at schools in Germany and Japan.Frontiers in Digital Healt 6. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1273415(externer Link)