Robotics in Germany and Japan: Philosophical and Technical Perspectives

by Michael Funk (Editor), Bernhard Irrgang (Editor)

Overview

Germany and Japan are two of the worldwide leading countries in robotics research. Robotics as a key technology introduces technical as well as philosophical and cultural challenges. How can we use robots that have a human-like appearance in everyday life? Are there limits to technology? What are the cultural similarities and differences between Germany and Japan? These are some of the questions which are discussed in the book. Five chapters comprehend an intercultural and interdisciplinary framework including current research fields like Roboethics, Hermeneutics of Technologies, Technology Assessment, Robotics in Japanese Popular Culture and Music Robots. Contributions on cultural interrelations, technical visions and essays round out the content of this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783631620717
Publisher:	Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
Publication date:	04/03/2014
Series:	Dresden Philosophy of Technology Studies / Dresdner Studien zur Philosophie der Technologie , #5
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Funk and Bernhard Irrgang both work at the Institute for the Philosophy of Technology at TU Dresden (Germany). Funk is Research Assistant and Irrgang holds the chair of the institute. Their current research includes intercultural and transdisciplinary philosophy of technologies and sciences, applied ethics, robotics and life sciences.

Table of Contents

Contents: Walther Ch. Zimmerli: From Fiction to Science: A German-Japanese Era-Project – Bernhard Irrgang: Robotics as a Future Vision for Hypermodern Technologies – Kohji Ishihara: Roboethics and the Synthetic Approach - A Perspective on Roboethics from Japanese Robotics Research – Mark Coeckelbergh: Robotic Appearances and Forms of Life. A Phenomenological-Hermeneutical Approach to the Relation between Robotics and Culture – Michael Funk: Humanoid Robots and Human Knowing - Perspectivity and Hermeneutics in Terms of Material Culture – Michael Decker: Who is taking over? Technology Assessment of Autonomous (Service) Robots – Maika Nakao: Robots in Japanese Popular Culture – Jorge Soli/Atsuo Takanishi: Understanding the Feasibility and Applicability of the Musician-Humanoid Interaction Research: A Study of the Impression of the Musical Interaction – Michael Funk/Jörg Jewanski: Mozart to Robot - Cultural Challenges of Musical Instruments – Gerd Grübler: Android Robots between Service and the Apocalypse of the Human Being – Kerstin Palatini: Joseph Weizenbaum, Responsibility and Humanoid Robots – Manja Unger-Büttner: Social Stereotypes as a Guarantee for Proper Human-Robot Interaction? Remarks to an Anthropomorphic Robot Design.