Proposal and practical evaluation of communication design that builds a mutually caring relationship with more than human beings

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H03768
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90010:Design-related
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: CHEN DOMINIQUE 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 教授 (50801784)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ソン ヨンア 法政大学, デザイン工学部, 教授 (20831423) ; 城 一裕 九州大学, 芸術工学研究院, 准教授 (80558122)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: more-than-human / biological HCI / research-through-design / ontological design / entanglement / mutual care / pluriverse

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project explored the possibility of a technology-mediated relationship of mutual care between human beings and micro-organism actors in the ancient Japanese fermented food culture of nukadoko. In this process, in addition to writing research papers and books in the fields of HCI, AI robotics ethics and microbiology, he also highlighted the desirable 'entanglement' of people, microbes and technology through several public exhibitions, which led to the proposal of his own design method called 'fermenting'. This led to the proposal of a unique design method called fermenting. The findings will contribute to ontological design around the interaction of people with natural beings in general and technological agents (AI and robots) in particular, not limited to micro-organisms.

Free Research Field

Human Computer Interaction

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題の学術的な成果は、微生物という不可視だが人間の生物学的実存と絡まりあう重要なアクターとの文化的・社会的な関係性における相互ケアの様相を、Human Computer Interaction、微生物学、そしてAI・ロボット倫理などという複数の研究領域を横断する形で調査し、Nukabotという具体的なシステムの提案につなげた点である。中でも1年半に及ぶ日本科学未来館と発酵食品店での展示型実験を通して、人、微生物、テクノロジー（AI・ロボット）という三者がどのように動的に絡まり合うのかという点を探求した成果は、今後テクノロジー研究の視座が非人間を含む多元世界を包含する上での議論に貢献する。