Ryo Yoshizawa吉澤 遼

Robotics & Interaction Researcher, Game Creator

Drawing on my experience in robotics, I apply perception and control technologies to game development, creating new interactive experiences.

Awards / Talks

Works

Deep Space Exploration

A tabletop murder mystery featuring Miranda, an AI navigator placed on the table. Players talk with her, take on their characters’ roles, gather evidence, discuss their theories, and identify the culprit. The game combines robotics and AI with the murder mystery genre.

Interview (Game Makers, Japanese) · SOWN 2025 finalist presentation (YouTube)

aibo “Dance to the Rhythm”

aibo picks up the beat of whatever music is playing around it and generates a natural dance in real time. Owners can play their favourite songs or an instrument and keep the rhythm together with aibo. The feature was released in an aibo software update in fiscal 2024.

Official video (YouTube) · aibo.sony.jp (Japanese)

TiMAP: Tokyo Time-Space Map

A web app that lets you see Tokyo’s sprawling transit network in terms of time. Pick any station as your origin, and travel times to every point are drawn over the map as isochrones. Special Jury Prize at the 4th Tokyo Public Transportation Open Data Challenge.

timap.app · Award page (Japanese)

Career

2024–
Independent researcher and game creator (Latent Entertainment)
2018–2024
Sony Group Corporation
Software Engineer, AI × Robotics Business Group
2016–2018
M.Eng., Department of Electrical Energy Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
2014–2015
Exchange student, Umeå University, Sweden
2012–2016
B.Eng., Department of Information and Intelligent Systems, School of Engineering, Tohoku University

Media

  • 2026.10 4Gamer.net Hands-on preview and developer interview for ミナと言霊の物語, a 3D action game in which players use voice commands to summon rocks and move platforms (OIGS 2026, Japanese)
  • 2025.10 Game Makers Developer interview on Deep Space Exploration (Tokyo Game Show 2025 coverage, Japanese)
  • 2024.04 IEEE Spectrum Video Friday: LASSIE on the Moon — featuring aibo “Dance to the Rhythm”
  • 2023.08 Robotstart Sony unveils “aibo dances to your clapping” — report from aibo Fan Meeting 16 (Japanese)

Patents

  • 2026.09 JP application · voice-controlled game Speech recognition system, game device, speech recognition method, and computer program
  • 2026.05 PCT application · Deep Space Exploration Game support system, game support method, and computer program
  • 2025.05 JP application · Deep Space Exploration Game support system, game support method, and computer program
  • 2024 WO 2025/041588 · Sony Information processing device and information processing method (aibo “Dance to the Rhythm”)
  • 2024 WO 2025/041587 · Sony Information processing device and information processing method (aibo “Dance to the Rhythm”)
  • 2021 WO 2022/064899 · Sony Robot device and information processing device

Exhibitions

  • 2026.10
    OSAKA INDIE GAMES SUMMIT 2026
  • 2026.05
    Game Market 2026 Spring
  • 2025.09
    Tokyo Game Show 2025 SELECTED INDIE 80
  • 2025.03
    Aichi Game Castle

Other Interests

Singing and playing guitar · Creative writing · Triathlon

Languages and cross-cultural exchange · Basic Swedish, picked up while studying in Umeå