00:00Hello. My name is Nicola. My name is NICOLA.
00:03My name is NICOLA.
00:05Could a robot like Nicola help us feel less alone?
00:09Nicola's skin is made of soft silicone.
00:12Underneath, dozens of tiny actuators move like artificial muscles,
00:17letting the robot gasp, frown, and shift its gaze.
00:21Scientists at Japan's Rikken Institute placed 29 actuators inside Nicola's face,
00:26and other six control head and eye movements.
00:31Our main target is to design and to develop a robot
00:37which can naturally interact with people in their daily life.
00:42Of course, the main function is necessary for such kind of a robot,
00:45but one important thing is a robot's facial expression.
00:50The researchers are studying which expressions and timing make interactions appear natural
00:56by synchronizing Nicola's movements, voice, and facial expressions.
00:59They hope to make communication feel less mechanical.
01:03For now, the robot can recite pre-written text, but cannot hold a live conversation.
01:08The team hopes to develop it into a robot people can talk to.
01:12And that could matter in Japan.
01:14According to a government study, nearly 40% of people say they feel lonely, at least occasionally.
01:20And by 2050, single person households are expected to make up a large share of all households in the country.
01:25At the same time, Japan's population is rapidly aging, with roughly 3 in 10 people now aged 65 or older.
01:35In the future, I believe that Nicola can support such kind of neuronist people
01:41and to encourage people's interaction using this kind of conversational capability robot.
01:48Faced with a shortage of care workers,
01:51Japan has invested heavily in robots designed to support carers and older people.
01:55Many Japanese people want more connection with community members or family members,
02:02but such a connection is now declining in Japan year by year.
02:09So that's why people prefer to use robots.
02:13Several studies suggest social robots may help,
02:16but it will be a while before robots like this can become safe and reliable companions.
02:25So that's why people can train the tools that allow resources to use.
02:27You
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