We, IRC, research and develop communication robots and ambient intelligence for supporting our everyday life. We introduce main research projects as follows:
The Realization of an Avatar-Symbiotic Society where Everyone Can Perform Active Roles without Constraint
This research project is a research and development initiative promoted as part of the Cabinet Office’s Moonshot Research and Development Program, specifically under ‘Moonshot Goal 1: Realization of a society in which human beings can be free from limitations of body, brain, space, and time by 2050’. Our goal is to develop cybernetic avatars (CAs) that embody hospitality and high ethical standards, with the aim of creating an ‘Avatar Symbiotic Society’ where anyone can participate beyond the constraints of time and place. Those who previously found it difficult to participate in society, such as homemakers and the elderly, will be able to engage in a variety of jobs and activities by operating CAs remotely. This avatar symbiotic society will also establish a large-scale, tele-operation, mutual aid network. During societal crises such as disasters or infectious diseases, diverse personnel will tele-operate CAs to help solve problems quickly. Furthermore, it will create a society in which individuals living alone or in isolated environments, such as on remote islands, can live with peace of mind, monitored by remote specialists through their CAs.
1. Development of a CA which has a humanlike presence and a lifelikeness
We are developing CAs that have a human-like presence and a biological sense of life. Specifically, we are creating diverse CAs to meet various needs, such as ‘movable CAs’ that move like children and ‘hugging CAs’ that are specialized for mental health support. Alongside this, we are developing an automated motion generation system that enables CAs to accurately express the operator’s intent and emotions. We are also developing a highly immersive interface that allows for intuitive CA control. These technologies will free us from the constraints of time and space, enabling activities that were previously impossible to be realized anywhere and at any time through CAs.
» Summary of achievements » Activities
Development of a Huggable CA (Masahiro SHIOMI)
Our research and development focuses on hug-type CA robots that provide support through dialogue while interacting physically with people in their daily lives. To date, we have developed various types of hug-type CA robot, including baby-sized models for the elderly, adult-sized models for children and self-hugging models. We are currently conducting proof-of-concept experiments on providing mental support through touch-based interaction for children, including those with autism. We are also developing a user interface that visualizes contact during hugging to make operation more intuitive and technology that recognizes hugging actions with high precision. These developments will enable us to verify the effects of hug-type CAs on users’ physical and mental well-being, as well as the new relationships formed between operators and users.
5. Development of CA platform
We are advancing the research and development of the ’Cybernetic Avatar Platform(CA-PF)’, which is an information infrastructure that connects numerous CAs and operators. This platform is essential for enabling a large number of people to make use of a wide variety of CAs smoothly. We clarify the platform’s hierarchical structure, build prototypes and verify functionality and performance through proof-of-concept experiments, all the while identifying new challenges. Furthermore, in collaboration with international standardization bodies, we are developing a highly extensible platform that considers interoperability between heterogeneous services and CAs, and advancing international standardization.
» Summary of achievements » Activities
Development of a platform, layered cooperative control, and tele-operator allocation for CA (Takahiro MIYASHITA)
We are engaged in the research and development of a CA platform, which is a software foundation that connects numerous CAs and operators. The platform incorporates four core functions: monitoring users and CAs, managing CA experience, coordinating control of CAs, and assigning operators and enabling tele-operation. With large-scale social field experiment such as the Osaka-Kansai Expo in mind, we have designed an overall architecture to encourage continuous use by multiple users, and we have built a prototype. Going forward, we will progressively develop a platform capable of handling various usage scenarios, such as different CA types, operator conditions and service locations and types, and advance the implementation of functions through social field experiments.
User/CA activity monitoring and management (Akira UTSUMI)
We are responsible for researching and developing the user/CA monitoring layer and the CA experience management layer. These are two of the key components of the CA infrastructure. These layers integrate the management of valuable monitoring data containing information about human activities and operational histories, thereby streamlining CA control and facilitating functional improvements. To date, we have built a prototype of the CA infrastructure equipped with basic functions such as video/audio communication, CA control commands and the transmission and reception of sensor data. This confirms benefits such as reduced operational load through the similarity of CA activities. Looking ahead, to support large-scale, multi-user deployment, we will optimize communication protocols and develop APIs for accessing monitoring data, thereby expanding the functionality of the CA platform.
6. Multidisciplinary investigation on how avatars and devices affect users biological body
We will gain a comprehensive understanding of how CA and related devices affect the human body. Rather than relying on conventional methods such as questionnaires or specific substance measurements, we will make the most of ‘omics analysis’, which measures over 10,000 types of biomaterial in a comprehensive way. This approach aims to capture the effects of CA use on the body in an objective and holistic way. Through this research, we will seek to elucidate the mechanisms by which CA acts on the human body, with the ultimate goal of establishing safer and more sustainable CA designs and usage methods.
» Summary of achievements » Activities
Designing experimental systems for the investigation of biological human body responses to avatars and devices (Hidenobu SUMIOKA)
We are investigating the effects of computer-aided (CA) systems, conventional remote interaction systems and games on the human body by analyzing physiological signals such as metabolites, hormones, brain activity and pulse rate. To date, we have conducted comparative studies of remote and face-to-face interactions, measured operators’ physiological responses during CA-based experiments and developed advanced fatigue estimation techniques. Building on these findings, we will develop operator interfaces that reduce fatigue and work towards creating CA systems that are gentle on the human body.
Hormonal responses to avatars and devices: towards the formulation of health standards for users (Aya NAKAE)
As a pain researcher specializing in anesthesia, I conduct scientific research into human emotions. I am particularly focused on developing metrics to objectively evaluate pain and positive emotions. Experiments using the hug-shaped robot ‘Hugvie’ have demonstrated that interacting with Hugvie suppresses the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone. Moving forward, I aim to elucidate what constitutes a human-friendly avatar through avatar-mediated research and contribute to the work of researchers involved in product development.
7. Field experiments in the real world
We are developing and establishing an infrastructure for social field experiments to facilitate the implementation of proof-of-concept trials. By collaborating with multiple companies, we are conducting social field experiments aimed at achieving practical CA implementation, which would be difficult to achieve alone. To date, this project has conducted around 100 demonstration experiments, including reception and guidance services at the entrance to the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR).
» Summary of achievements » Activities
Development of a field experiment platform for CAs and support activities of a corporate consortium for Avatar-Symbiotic Society (Takahiro MIYASHITA)
We collaborate with multiple companies to manage and operate social field experiments, and to promote corporate consortium activities. As of the end of September 2025, 169 corporations were registered with the ‘Avatar Symbiotic Society Corporate Consortium’, which was established in August 2021. Five subcommittees are exploring new business opportunities to make use of CA technology. Findings from the experiments are fed back into each research and development project, contributing to the advancement of CA technology.
Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI)｜JAPAN SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE