make a world in
which more people
can enjoy each
and every moment
Engineer Interview
Bring a fulfilling life and
everyone’s smile
Pursuing future interactions
through AI and sensing
Maki Mori
Joined Sony in 2010
Job description: Research and development of
Human Interaction
Field of expertise: Human interaction
What kind of research are you
currently involved in?
How to refine interaction
between
people and devices
Human-device interactions and its related technologies are progressing. In the past, it was common to return output in response to explicit user input such as button presses, but now it is also common to return output in response to input as natural behavior such as voice or gestures. in the future, when more sophisticated AI and robots become commonplace in people’s homes, a more advanced interface would be achieved such as one that response with output data by detecting a user’s natural behavior as input data. My research activities are concerned with how to make human-device interaction more pleasant, in preparation for such a future. One such evolved form of interaction that I am considering is a technology that detects a person’s behavior and predicts what they want without the user having to say anything, then providing adaptive information. For example the device detects the motions of opening the curtains and looking out the window to check the weather, and informs the user of the day’s weather conditions. In order to design new interactions like this, I am not only researching AI and sensing technologies, but also human thought, cognitive mechanisms and behavioral characteristics.
How did you get into your current
field of research?
Human interaction is a technology
that is linked to people’s smiles
Learning about user interfaces – the boundary of between people and devices - in my university lectures was the origin for what I do now. I really enjoyed that it was not just an engineering approach, but also an emotional one, i.e. how to reduce the cognitive load of the user while making the user experience better, and it really suited me because I was also interested in psychology. My current field of research, human interaction, is concerned with much more than just interfaces. Another important experience that led me to where I am today was when I worked part-time at a café as a student. My customers would smile at my service, which in turn would cause me to smile. It was a very valuable experience and, since then, I’ve been thinking about how to make people smile more and make contact between people more genial. Thus, my experiences as a student cemented in me the desire to research how to make more people smile through technology.
What made you choose Sony?
I want to create new experiences for
others at a company that
gave me inspiring experiences
I’ve been familiar with Sony for a long time. I’ve loved music ever since I was a student, I’ve listened to a lot of music by Sony artists, and I used to listen to the Sony Walkman my dad gave me on my way to lessons. It might seem very ordinary now, but at the time, the experience of being able to listen to my favorite music during an otherwise boring route was simply amazing. That was my first encounter with Sony, and while I was initially interested in product development when I was job-hunting, I eventually came to realize that I wanted to research the actual value of experiences and create something completely new, which led me to the R&D Center. The current human interaction R&D team is a diverse group. The members come from a variety of backgrounds; for example, some were psychology majors, others are device engineers, designers, and so on. Benefitting from the unique perspectives of these varied experts, and being in constant dialog with them, usually leads to ideas and research results that exceed one’s imagination. In addition, my colleagues kindly support me when I have to start work late or leave early because my child suddenly catches a cold. It is grateful that I have a good work-life balance.
Please tell us about a project that
left an impression on you
Delivering new AR experiences to
smartphone users
A few years ago, when I was involved in improving the usability of our smartphone camera application, I was charged with the task of proposing new camera apps based on R&D technologies. So, we combined Sony’s technologies at that time and proposed a prototype for a new augmented reality experience. It utilized facial recognition and image processing technology, allowing users to decorate the faces of people in the photo, or swap their faces around, and it actually came to be used in a product at that time. It meant a lot to me, because it was the first time the fruits of my research had reached a large user base through a Sony product and led to new experiences and enjoyment. I was also given the opportunity to showcase this technology to Sony Music artists during a tech demonstration at Sony. Being able to work closely with the entertainment world like that is just one of the unique experiences available at Sony.
What are your goals for the future?
To pursue technologies that
are rooted in everyday life
I want to work on creating technologies that are rooted in people’s everyday lives. Previously, my research was aimed at creating entertainment that could be enjoyed by a large number of people, but I think my focus has shifted slightly since I started a family and have children of my own. For instance, I entered the bottom-up event named as “Challe-Suppo” in 2019. In that event, I was awarded a prize for our idea proposal using speakers that can create personal sound zones and make it that only the person holding the stuffed animal can hear the sound. I believe I’ve started to think more and more about how the power of technology can make family time more enjoyable and rewarding.
Because life is precious, I would love to see a world in which more people can enjoy each and every moment. Through research into human interaction, I hope to enrich lives by making people feel closer to each other and solve their daily problems through technology.
What is your motto for research
and development?
Create technology to make
myself and others smile
Being exposed to people’s smiles can be a great motivator, both in research activities and in daily life. I believe that ideas and technologies that will entertain people originate in an environment where people enjoy working. When I was working part-time in a café as a student, it made me happy to think about what else I could do in my job to put smiles on customers’ faces. I believe that my mindset from that time still informs everything I do and is the most important element of my research and development.
