<span style="color: #222222;">Scientists have upgraded a conversational human-like robot, giving it a greater ability to have a natural dialogue with people by enhancing its listening skills.</span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">The android ERICA, created by Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University in Japan, was specifically designed for natural conversation through incorporation of human-like facial expressions and gestures.&nbsp;</span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">Tatsuya Kawahara of Kyoto University in Japan said talking is never a simple back and forward progression of information, it involves listening and maintaining the momentum of conversation, called backchanneling.&nbsp;</span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">Kawahara said this is something they wanted to implement with ERICA. The team also focused on developing a system for attentive listening.&nbsp;</span><br />