Shortly about the Lab

(Mainly for Foreign Students thinking about getting a degree in our Lab)

The Lab is loosely divided into three groups, which are Natural Language Group (lead by Prof. Araki), Voice Group (lead by Prof. Ito) and Commonsense Knowledge Group (lead by Prof. Rzepka). Our research is to achieve as natural speaking systems as possible. In order to achieve this goal we work on machine learning, conversation analysis and knowledge acquisition as we think that the robots need to simulate many human's processes. This is why in our lab you can meet specialists from different fields and students not only form computer science but also from linguistics or philosophy departments. If you are going to get a scholarship and are interested in practical side of Theory of Mind or Language - send us an email about what you do, what you are going to do and who you are (of course we have limits but look at the number of our foreign members, you may be lucky, too!). You can do your PhD in English but you will speak Japanese pretty soon especially if you are a Monkasho Scholarship receiver - you will attend an intensive language course for about six months.

In our lab we put stress on individually chosen topics which gives the members quite broad range of freedom also in term of time and space. You are only obliged to talk about the progress of your research during the seminars where we share opinions and discuss the topics. Usually there is one group seminar and all-members seminar per week.

　Of course "freedom is better" pattern doesn't always work for everyone but we think this way all your ideas can be brought to life - with advices, not orders from above. If you have new ideas and can be responsible for your research progress - this might be a lab for you.