Call for Participants

International Symposium on
Robotics and Law: towards the society living together with robots

Organized by:

Chuo University Research Project (Social Robotics Group): Interdisciplinary Approach on Social Implementation of Robotics

Supported by:

Embassy of Italy in Japan

Aim of the Symposium:

As the first international symposium, Chuo University Research Project (Social Robotics Group) would like to organize an Italy-Japan bilateral meeting on social implementation of robotics, focusing on social, legal, and ethical aspects of robotics.
Italy and Japan share many social issues. Both countries are based on family-run small businesses, traditionally agriculture communities, and face common issues, including aging-society, low birth rate, and shrinking population, especially that of working generation. On the other hand, both countries have been keen on promoting high-technology, especially robotics and autonomous mechanics, partly because of those social issues above mentioned, partly because of their quests for technology.
Technological advances require new social as well as legal frameworks which regulate them, since they often do not fit to the existing frameworks, because they are too advanced to be fit into them. They often do not fit even to the new norms created for them, because, they exceed any expectations expressed by the new framework. This is one of the modern challenges we face in the era of continuous technological development, especially in informatics and in robotics.
Chuo University Social Robotics Group, a trans-disciplinary team, has been working on social, legal, ethical as well as technological aspects of robotics for the last two years and is preparing for future research. The team studied EU efforts in establishing legal framework on social use of robotics and has been impressed by the RoboLaw project. After evaluating projects and research of various countries, the team chose Italy as the first counterpart of its project.Japan has been an advanced country in terms of technological developments as well as their industrialization through automation. However, when it comes to legal framework and social rules, it is definitely not the most developed country. Japan has been working hard on security issues, but not necessary on social impacts of technological advancements.
The symposium consists of two parts. First, two speakers from Italy, Professor Stefania Bandini of University of Milan-Biccocca, and Dr. Pericle Salvini of Scuola Superiole Sant’Anna will give speeches. Then, with Japanese researchers joining as panelists, the two invited speakers will sit in for a panel discussion.Chuo University Social Robotics Group hopes to discuss many new aspects of the social use of robotics and to draw some provocative conclusions out of them.

Overview and Program of the Symposium:

Date and Time: Feb 19 (Wed), 2014 (14:00 – 17:15)
Venue: Chuo University, Korakuen Campus, Meeting Room: 310021-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
http://global.chuo-u.ac.jp/english/visit/korakuen.php

Symposium Program:

(*) English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation service is available.
14:00 Opening Remarks- Chuo University and Embassy of Italy in Japan
14:15 Symposium Overview- Toshikazu Kato (Chuo University)
14:30 Invited Speeches
“Advanced Computer-based Technology meets the Ageing Society: Ontological Issues and Ethical Constraints”
Prof. Stefania Bandini (University of Milano-Bicocca)
“The RoboLaw Project: A European perspective on the ethical and legal implications of social robots”
Dr. Pericle Salvini (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna)
15:30 Break
15:45 Panel Discussion
Moderator: Prof. Hiroko Kudo (Chuo University)
Panelists:
Prof. Stefania Bandini (University of Milano-Bicocca)
Dr. Pericle Salvini (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna)
Prof. Shinya Tsuchida (Chuo University)
Prof. Toshihiko Hasegawa (Nihon Medical School + MEXT)
Dr. Masahiro Kato (Manufacturing Science and Technology Center)
Prof. Hideki Hashimoto (Chuo University)
17:15 Technical Tour to Robotics Research Laboratories
18:30 Reception

For more information, please contact:
Human Media Lab, Chuo University
hmsecretary@indsys.chuo-u.ac.jp