| Date | Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 16:00～17:00 |
|---|---|
| Room | Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Center for Smart Aging Research. 6F, Seminar Room |
| Speaker | Justin Gallagher |
| Affiliation | School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, UK |
| Organizer | Yasuyuki Taki (Smart-Aging Center, ext.8559) Toshimi Ogawa (Smart-Aging Center, ext.8556) |
| Abstract | How can technology help people relearn movement after stroke or neurological injury? I will introduce our work at the University of Leeds’ Rehab45 Lab, exploring how robots, sensors and interactive games can help us understand recovery and develop rehabilitation tailored to each person. The talk will consider how these approaches could support independence and quality of life as we age. |
| Date | Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 17:00～18:00 |
|---|---|
| Room | Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Center for Smart Aging Research. 6F, Seminar Room |
| Speaker | Spencer Hazel |
| Affiliation | School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, UK |
| Organizer | Yasuyuki Taki (Dept. Aging Research and Geriatric Medicine, ext.8559) Toshimi Ogawa (Smart-Aging Center, ext.8556) |
| Abstract | Human interaction rests on participants’ capacity to enter an alternate state of consciousness, one in which each orients to the other as a partner in shared understanding (intersubjectivity). This presentation treats that orientation as an outgrowth of a more basic human capacity: the capacity for make-believe that underpins play. Drawing on data from interactions between humans and automated agents, we show that this diegetic mechanism continues to operate even where no genuine intersubjectivity is possible. Finally, we ask whether degenerative conditions such as dementia may involve a loss of this capacity, and what this could mean for the use of automated agents in elderly care. |