Keynote
We will host four keynote speakers from Japan and abroad. Spanning human augmentation, neuroscience, and robotics, their talks will explore how to further advance the field of human augmentation. Details of the keynote speaker will be released in due course.
Human-AI Integration
Prof. Jun Rekimoto
While traditional HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) is a research field that focuses on the interface between humans and machines, I advocate for Human Augmentation—humans enhanced by technology. The scope of augmentation extends beyond intellectual enhancement to encompass sensory, cognitive, physical, and existential dimensions. This augmentation extends beyond individual humans to develop into a future society called IoA (Internet of Abilities), where people and technology merge on networks and their capabilities are complementarity enhanced, leading to a world of Human-AI Integration where AI becomes integrated with human abilities. I will introduce examples such as silent speech, which enables communication without vocalization, and skill transmission systems where human vision merges with real-world agents, and discuss the future relationship between humans and technology.
Human-in-the-Loop Learning under the Free Energy Principle: A Developmental Robotics Perspective
Prof. Jun Tani
This talk presents a theoretical and experimental framework for human-in-the-loop (HITL) systems formulated under the Free Energy Principle (FEP). I begin by introducing the basic concept of the FEP and its relevance to perception-action cycles in adaptive systems. Building on this foundation, I describe the development of a variational recurrent neural network (VRNN) model that operationalizes the FEP for modeling and controlling humanoid robots.
The second part of the talk reports results from a series of HITL experiments in which humanoid robots, governed by the VRNN, engage in imitative interactions and human-assisted developmental training. These experiments reveal how mutual actional intentions between the human and the robot dynamically modulate their behavior, particularly through bidirectional force feedback during physical interaction.
Finally, I will discuss phenomenological implications of these findings, focusing on the sense of agency and primary intersubjectivity that emerge from these embodied, interactive dynamics. The results suggest that modeling HITL processes under the FEP provides a unifying account linking predictive coding, active inference, and human-robot co-development.
Talk Title: Coming Soon
Prof. Olaf Blanke
Olaf Blanke is founding director of the Center for Neuroprosthetics and holds the Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). His talk title and abstract will come soon.
Coming Soon
To be announced
Details of this keynote will be announced soon. Please stay tuned.
