August 21, 2018
Kyoto University
Researchers have significantly
upgraded the interaction system for the conversational android ERICA, by
implementing 'backchanneling' and 'attentive listening' ability.
We've all tried talking with
devices, and in some cases they talk back. But, it's a far cry from having a
conversation with a real person.
Now a research team from Kyoto
University, Osaka University, and the Advanced Telecommunications Research
Institute, or ATR, have significantly upgraded the interaction system for
conversational android ERICA, giving her even greater dialog skills.
ERICA is an android created by
Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University and ATR, specifically designed for natural
conversation through incorporation of human-like facial expressions and
gestures. The research team demonstrated the updates during a symposium at the
National Museum of Emerging Science in Tokyo.
"When we talk to one
another, it's never a simple back and forward progression of information,"
states Tatsuya Kawahara of Kyoto University's Graduate School of Informatics,
and an expert in speech and audio processing.
"Listening is active. We
express agreement by nodding or saying 'uh-huh' to maintain the momentum of
conversation. This is called 'backchanneling', and is something we wanted to
implement with ERICA."
The team also focused on
developing a system for 'attentive listening'. This is when a listener asks
elaborating questions, or repeats the last word of the speaker's sentence,
allowing for more engaging dialogue.
Deploying a series of distance
sensors, facial recognition cameras, and microphone arrays, the team began
collecting data on parameters necessary for a fluid dialog between ERICA and a
human subject.
"We looked at three
qualities when studying backchanneling," continues Kawahara. "These
were: timing -- when a response happens; lexical form -- what is being said;
and prosody, or how the response happens."
Responses were generated
through machine learning using a counseling dialogue corpus, resulting in
dramatically improved dialog engagement. Testing in five-minute sessions with a
human subject, ERICA demonstrated significantly more dynamic speaking skill,
including the use of backchanneling, partial repeats, and statement
assessments.
"Making a human-like
conversational robot is a major challenge," states Kawahara. "This
project reveals how much complexity there is in listening, which we might
consider mundane. We are getting closer to a day where a robot can pass a Total
Turing Test."
Story Source:
Materials provided by Kyoto University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
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