Researchers'
Professor
Ryuichiro Higashinaka
Graduate School of Informatics
Even if things don’t go right at first, I believe that if you keep trying, you’ll often get it right in the end. I’ve found that even when something seems impossible at first, you may find a solution if you keep trying. Giving up halfway means it’s over, but persisting through trial and error and making gradual progress will allow you to achieve your goal. Whether it’s studying, researching, or doing a hobby, giving up too soon means it’s all over. If there’s something you want to do, I think it’s important to keep doing it with dedication.
I'm doing research on dialogue systems — those computer systems that have conversations with people. It seems like more and more people are becoming familiar with these systems, especially with the increasing use of voice agents on smartphones and communication robots, and recently, those using large language models. One of the goals of my research is to make systems communicate more naturally, like humans do. Right now, I'm working on systems that offer interactive services, especially in customer sales, and that augment our interactions and collaborate with us through dialogue.
He and his students chat with the android Shoko-san (on screen) and the robots CommU (white) and SOTA (blue), which are used for researching dialogue systems.
When I started going to college, I never thought about becoming a researcher. It was during graduate school that I got involved in a long-term internship at a company where I was exposed to research in natural language processing and interactive robots. I found that research fascinating, so I joined a company's basic research lab. Initially, I wanted to research machine translation, but since it was already in the commercialization phase, there wasn't a dedicated department for it. Instead, I was assigned to the dialogue systems group. Since then, I've been working on research related to dialogue systems and natural language processing.
I find it really interesting to get feedback from users after they've actually used our system. Of course, it's great when our research succeeds, but even failures often lead to new discoveries. In general, research goes wrong more often than not, but I still enjoy it. Personally, I love experimenting and discussing ideas with students, as well as writing manuscripts together. Turning a vague concept into something concrete can be tough, but it's also really rewarding.
I always think about whether the systems I create will contribute to gaining new insights into human beings. While engineering practical solutions is important, designing dialogue systems is about understanding how people use language. I'm fascinated by why and how people are able to communicate with each other. So, I always aim to do research that not only makes our systems function well but also provides new insights into human communication.
I've found that they responded quite well. Using VR for my seminars creates an immersive experience, making remote students feel like they're actually there, even if they are actually far away. I can see where they're looking and understand their intentions through nods and raised hands. Another reason why I use VR is to educate about VR itself and to develop VR dialogue systems. By actually using VR, students see the differences from regular web conferencing and explore the unique interactions VR offers. This experience also aids in creating CG agents and can be used for social gatherings as well.
Since I was a child, I've not been good at writing, even though these days I correct stu