AKIHIKO SHIRAI, Ph.D (Engineering), is a researcher in entertainment virtual reality since 1998. He is researching vertical technologies in media science and user experience design for next-gen social media in Japan representative metaverse company, REALITY, Inc. Invited Professor in Digital Hollywood University Graduate School.
Vice president of society for Art and Science. IVRC executive committee. The motto is “Creating people who create”, from his written book in “The future of Game Design – Science in Entertainment Systems”. In this talk, he will make a bridge between CG, interactive, avatar driven metaverse industry and academic in the context of research & development of human beings.

1998年よりエンターテインメントバーチャルリアリティの研究者として活動。日本を代表するメタバース企業である株式会社リアリティで、メディアサイエンスの垂直技術や次世代ソーシャルメディアのユーザーエクスペリエンスデザインを研究している。デジタルハリウッド大学大学院客員教授。芸術科学会副会長。IVRC実行委員会。著書に『白井博士の未来のゲームデザイン-エンターテインメントシステムの科学』があり、「創造する人を創造する」をモットーとしている。本講演では、Human Beingsの研究開発という観点から、CG、インタラクティブ、アバター駆動のメタバース産業と学術の架け橋となることを目指す。

As avatar technology is combined with robotics, a place is emerging where people can connect with each other in real space through avatars. In such a place, which can be called the boundary between the metaverse and reality, research on communication robotics that deals with the behaviors and expressions of artifacts that share information with people becomes increasingly necessary. In this talk, Yoichi Yamazaki will present an example of extending human interaction through an alter ego robot, using the Meta Avatar robot cafe as an example. I will also share my impressions through the in person exhibition at SIGGRAPH E-Tech.

山崎洋一：アバター技術がロボットと結びつくことにより、アバターを介して現実の空間で人と人とが結びつく場が生まれつつある。メタバースと現実の境界ともいえるこのような場では、人に情報を共有する人工物の振る舞いや表現を扱うコミュニケーションロボティクスの研究がますます必要になる。本講演ではMeta Avatar robot cafeを例として、分身ロボットを通した人のインタラクションの拡張の事例を紹介する。また、このSIGGRAPH E-Techでのin person展示を通した感想についても共有する。

Masahiko (Masa) Inami is a Professor in the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is also directing Inami JIZAI Body Project, JST ERATO. His research interests are in Augmented Human, human I/O enhancement technologies including perception, HCI and robotics. He joined the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, and in 1999, he moved to the University of Electro-Communications. In April 2008, he joined Keio University, where he served as a Professor of the Graduate School of Media Design till October 2015. In November 2015, he rejoined the University of Tokyo. The University of Tokyo Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology. Long time contributor in SIGGRAPH, and representative researcher in interactive techniques.

稲見昌彦： 東京大学先端科学技術研究センター教授。JST ERATO「稲見財団身体プロジェクト」ディレクターも務める。研究テーマは、Augmented Human、知覚を含む人間のI/O拡張技術、HCI、ロボティクス。東京大学工学部を経て、1999年に電気通信大学へ。2008年4月、慶應義塾大学に移り、2015年10月までメディアデザイン研究科教授を務める。2015年11月、東京大学に再入学。東京大学先端科学技術研究センター。SIGGRAPHの長年のコントリビューターであり、インタラクティブ技術の代表的な研究者。

[reported by Akihiko Shirai, Ph.D.]
Liudmila BREDIKHINA (Mila) talked about “Avatar Driven Metaverse Culture” from an independent researcher. Her ethnographic approach focuses on the demographics and user culture of VRChat users. She introduced 7 characteristic user event cases and 3 findings in love between men and women. In conclusion, she reported the “Sugar” relation (a more profound lovers relation word in Japanese VRChat) is understood as “a sweet relationship,” but it avoids bringing “vivid concepts of real-world romance to VRChat.” Users find “alternatives” to kinship, producing life as a community through technology and imagination.

Yoichi Yamazaki talked about human-and-environmentally friendly smart life. Communication robotics is a field that focuses on “communicating to people” based on robot technology and rooted in human understanding. At Meta avatar robot cafe, those who experience difficulty going out due to disabilities can work using avatar robots, solving loneliness through technology. With AR avatars, the sense of space is augmented, as the virtual and the physical are linked.

The value of this hybrid conference is not only to share knowledge across cultures and languages but also to share impressions about CG and interactive techniques events from those who could attend physically for those who could not travel. While the hybrid style cannot compete with in-person attendance, it is a practical solution in the current COVID-19 climate. However, while the computer screen and the Internet can connect us across countries, there are cultural divides that need to be bridged. And it is precisely that that this BoF achieved, as speakers exchanged and discussed how culture could influence Metaversee and Interverse practices. Those who could not attend the conference can watch the YouTube video archive, and I hope that many will take some time out of their day to check it out! It is essential that we keep the Interverse and Metaverse discussions going, shine a light on grass-root practices, and share our values during such BoF.